Three Tests
by Kazima Kuwabara
Summary: IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REVISED! A little demon girl and her master want to play a game with the Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Kurama. In the end no one will be alive, whether that's emotionally or physically.
1. The Picnic Is Trashed

I don't own a thing. THIS IS COMPLETELY REDONE CHAPTER ONE! WOO-HOO!! I'm happy and gonna make it batter. yup yup. okay onward!

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"Play time, Play time!" A young voice rang out in the emptiness of the shadows, "Finally I get to play!" The giggles went on only to be interrupted by a deep voice."Kira...remember...you may have your fun, but I get to kill them." A male voice boomed echoing all around the darkness..

A small girl turned around in the darkness, and she bowed. "Yes, My lord."

"Send them to me if they lose a game...the ones that win...I will grace with my presence...they will have the honor of me, coming to them," a voice echoed in the vast emptiness, "Come...come and show me your worthy of my time...in wit, and in strength. Are you ready Rekai?"

An echoing laugh swirled with the darkness, along with the child's demonic giggles.

"Why did I have to come?" Hiei snarled to Kurama, as he set up a picnic, while  
Yusuke and Kuwabara had a water war in the pond."Oh Hiei...You're such a baby," Kurama teased making Hiei turn slightly pink."You know why," Kurama continued smiling at the shorter demon, "because Kuwabara is in college now, we barely see him. Only on missions, and even then it's rare he can come, and when he does come once the mission is over he must run off back to school." Kurama said patiently to his moody friend.

Hiei sat at the base of a tree and frowned. "Why does that fool even bother?"

"He wants to better himself. So that we remember him when he's gone. He wants us to remember him as a strong and capable friend...someone who would do anything to become a better...a better person" Kurama continued unfolding the blanket a tinge of sadness in his voice,"He...he doesn't want to be forgotten."

"Why so sentimental, Kurama?" Hiei asked looking at his obviously saddened friend. Kurama stopped messing with the blanket he was unfolding and looked at his hands. "You know how Kuwabara was offered to become a demon, so that he could live as long as we do, from Koenma?"

"Yes, a reward for being useless, I suppose." Hiei snorted."Shizuru has told me, he turned it down," Kurama sighed looking over at the pond where Kuwabara has just dunked Yusuke in the water.  
Hiei jumped startled, "What? Why...he...last time we spoke of this he sounded like he would go through with it." Kurama shook his head, "A lie...Shizuru says he's afraid he will become like Toguro, fool hardy and blood thirsty." Kurama looked back over at Hiei with a sad smile, "He wishes the regular life of a human...Hiei...we're going to out live Kuwabara by thousands of years." Hiei looked at Kuwabara who was howling with laughter as Yusuke yelled and cussed at him. Hiei snorted, "Why get upset Kurama? We knew he was human, we knew we'd out live him!"

"Because now he has the chance to stay with us...and he won't...all because of Toguro."

Hiei looked at Kurama, "You really think meeting Toguro made him decide this decision? He's too honorable. He would not change, or cheat himself just so he could do something better." Kurama smiled, "I see he has grown on you." Hiei rolled his eyes folding his arms over his chest, "Phe." Kurama looked back at his two friend in the water. "Yusuke doesn't know Kuwabara's choice yet." Hiei tensed, but tried to hide it, "Now I see why your worried..."

At that moment Yusuke and Kuwabara came running up, both soaked to the bone.

"Hey, food ready?" Kuwabara asked smiling, unaware he had been the subject of a rather serious conversation. Kurama smiled up at Kuwabara, "Just need to spread out the blanket." Kuwabara knelt down and began to assist Kurama with out the red headed man having to ask. Kuwabara tended to be like that, always ready to lend a hand."Hey, come eat!" Yusuke said looking over at Hiei once everything was set up. Hiei glared, and looked away, "I'm only here because I was forced, I am not here to eat your disgusting human food."

"Oh no you don't shorty!" Kuwabara said with a laugh, and to Hiei's and everyone's surprise, Kuwabara had seized Hiei and tossed him on the blanket. "For one day in your tortured life, you're gonna eat with us and have fun!" Kuwabara said over dramatically placing one hand on his chest, and putting the other hand on the back of his brow. Hiei growled, but Kurama stopped him from attacking Kuwabara. "I'll deal with you later human!" Hiei threatened, but Kuwabara laughed it off.

But Kuwabara abruptly stopped when he noticed something off in the distance.

A stumbling little girl was walking towards them. Her hair was blonde, and her green eyes downcast. She wore a pink dress, and from what Kuwabara could make out, had a large red stain on the front."Oh man!" Kuwabara gasped, running past his startled friends and picked up the girl. Her small head lay gently on his chest, here eyes closed with pain."What happened?" Yusuke called as he and the others began to rush over.

"I don-" Kuwabara stopped in mid-sentence and began to scream, "HHHYAAAAAAAHHHH!" He had his eyes closed, as he dropped to the ground, wrapping his arms around him. "Ura-Urameshi it hurts! Ah!!" Kuwabara gasped eyes opening briefly. He had dropped the girl, but it didn't matter, for she floated in the air smiling wickedly at Kuwabara. Kuwabara's body flashed a sharp blue and then faded away, the small girl now hovering where he once was.

"She's a demon!" Kurama announced too late. The girl spun around, her hair floating up. "We're going to play!" She snapped her fingers, and like that, Hiei, Yusuke, And Kurama were sent away screaming as well. Shortly the girl disappeared too, and all that was left, was the picnic basket, which would remain unattended.

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So this is my updated version of chapter one, and I will update the others. I've been meaning to do this for a long time. This is going to be fun. Well I hope you'll bare with me as I update the other chapers.


	2. The Name Of The Game

Revised chapter two!! Yeah I'm on a roll. XD

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Yusuke groggily opened his eyes, to see Kuwabara hovering over him. Kuwabara smiled with relief running a hand over his own copper hair, "Ah thank goodness...you were so still I wasn't sure if you would wake up!" Kuwabara said with a relieved smile. Kuwabara helped him up and Yuske blinked, barely aware that he was in some sort of room. "I'm surprised...where's that half-breed tenacity of yours?" Hiei snorted sitting across the room. Kurama stood behind him head swiveling as he took in their surroundings.

It looked like the lounge of a dentist office.

There were several chairs, random plants, a window, a large mirror the entire length of the wall, a desk where someone would sit at, and magazines. There was also two doors. One red, and One black.  
"Where are we?" Yusuke groaned, he could already feel trouble. Kuwabara helped Yusuke to his feet, before wandering over to one of the doors. He reached to grab one, but stopped, suddenly deciding against it. "Seriously...where are we?" Yusuke asked again looking around.

"Well how are we supposed to know dumbasX?" Kuwabara snorted turned away from the doors. "Who says I was asking you?!" Yusuke snapped. Kuwabara's face turned red from anger, and he stormed over to Yusuke , "How am I supposed to know when you're being a dumbasX and just talking to yourself!?" The two began to argue, when Hiei gave a loud agitated sigh, "If you two would take a look at yourselves, you'd notice your attire."

Yusuke blinked and looked down, "Ack!" Yusuke's face flushed when he saw he was in kiddy overalls, with a striped shirt and everything. "Oh God..." Kuwabara looked down and made gurgling noises to see he was in suspenders, with a red bow tie, and thick glasses folded in his front pocket. Kurama and Hiei had lucked out, their clothes not having changed one bit..

"WHO THE HELL CHANGED MY CLOTHES?" Yusuke snarled.

"I did."

The group turned to the desk to see the small girl from before. She smiled at them, and snapped her fingers. "I gave you a new wardrobe! You were only in your soaking wet swim trunks." Yusuke growled, staring at the girl who had been from before. He glanced at Kuwabara and suddenly remembered his best friend screaming in pain, and felt all his anger and frustration shift over to this girl. "Listen kid, I'd appreciate my clothes! Now!" Yusuke snapped. "Fine," the girl said with a yawn pointing a glowing hand at the two. Yusuke's white shirt, and blue jeans appeared on him, and Kuwabara was placed back in his black jeans, and red shirt.

"Thanks. I was having an identity crisis." Kuwabara said with a relieved sigh.

"Idiot." Hiei hissed annoyed.  
"Don't start you two!" Kurama spoke up before Kuwabara opened his mouth.

"Yes, you should remain friendly like. This could be your last moments together." The small girl said spinning around in the chair. Kuwabara glared at her, his blue eyes meeting her green. "What's that look for Kuwabara dear?" The girl asked smiling sweetly, "I am ever so greatful for you trying to help me when I was, "injured." I play a great victim don't I?" Kuwabara growled making a move towards her, but the girl's eyes glowed and Kuwabara's left arm glowed, and he was suddenly kneeling, his arm stuck to the ground. "Ahg!" Kuwabara cried, gritting his teeth. "Kuwabara!" Kurama gasped going to his friend. Yusuke pointed his finger at the girl, "Release him!" She smiled innocently at Yusuke, "Or what?" Yusuke's eyes flashed, "OR THIS! REKAI GUN!" Yusuke shouted taking aim at the child.

To the group's surprise, the attack disintegrated long before it reached the child.

"I may be little, but I'm far more powerful. Especially in your current state." The girl giggled, spinning in her chair. "We're going to play a game..." The child said still spinning in her chair. She stopped spinning, and Kuwabara gasped as the pressure was removed from his arm. Yusuke was at his friend's side, and helped him up, watching concerned as Kuwabara rubbed the appendage which has been glowing before. "You alright Kuwabara?" Kuwabara nodded at Yusuke, "Yeah...I think so." The girl giggled leaning forward, "Enough chatter, the game must start now!" The girl giggled happily.

"What if we refuse?" Kurama said evenly.

She snapped her fingers, and Kurama cried out as electricity rushed through his body. He stumbled and fell Hiei catching him. "Kurama?!"The short demon cried as Kurama arched back in his arms eyes wide. He coughed and choked, twisting in Hiei's grasp. "Kurama!" Hiei cried again, and winced as Kuwabara suddenly screamed. "STOP IT YOU LITTLE BITXH!" Yusuke roared heading for her. She disappeared an reappeared sitting on one of the couches. She snapped her fingers, and finally Kurama went lax in Hiei's arms, gasping for breath.

The child laughed and smiled sweetly at them all. "My name is Kira. I'll be the game master. We're going to have so much fun!" Her green eyes sparkled with delight as the four huddled together, Kurama now gasping softly, and glaring at her."It will be loads of fun!" The girl declared again "I bet..." Yusuke growled, Kira however ignored him. "The game is this. I will give you each 3 games. Lose a game and you go through the black door. Win all 3 and you go through the red. The tests will be mildly challenging, but hopefully very mentally damaging!" Kira giggled and added, "You will feel all types of horrid pain, and some of the injuries won't even be real!" She continued to giggle delighted, and Kuwabara whispered barely moving his lips, "She's a loon..." Hiei merely snorted, "Figures."

"What's in the doors, huh?" Yusuke asked glaring at the devil child. "In the black door is death, In the red door is...death, but slower!" Kira spun around in the chair again and giggled. "Sounds real fun." Hiei remarked. "Yes I know!" The girl beamed at them.  
In the middle of a room appeared 4 blank screens. "Choose you screen!" Kira ordered. There was no movement, and the girl sighed, "Must I torture one of you again?" The group sighed, and Yusuke looked at the four blank screens, "Doesn't look like we have a choice..." The group looked at the screens, "So...I guess I'll choose one now..." Kurama sighed, touching one. A giant number two appeared on the screen and the group looked at each other shrugging. Yusuke chose, and received a one, then Kuwabara picked and got a four, and finally Hiei got a three.

"Very good...the order is this. First Yusuke, Then Kurama, then Hiei, and finally Kuwabara." Kira said smiling. "Order for what, the game?" Kurama asked, but Kira ignored him and clapped her hands. "Okay lets begin!"

Yusuke blinked as he felt the floor fade away. He fell down a dark tunnel, Kuwabara was the last thing he saw running towards the trap that he'd apparently been standing on.. "URAMESHI!!" Kuwabara's voice rang out. A child's giggling surrounded Yusuke, and the floor closed up as he continued to fall. The laughter grew louder and louder, until he finally passed out.

"So it has begun..." A male voice in the shadows whispered. "The game is set...and I've made the first move."

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revised chapter two. wootness!!


	3. Snapped Neck

Redone chapter three!! I was looking through my states, this has 12630 hits...it's one of my crappiest fics, and this is why I'm updating it, yet everyone seems to realllly like it...oh well who am I to judge?

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"Ura..."

Cold...

"Ura...shi..."

It was dark...and cold. Was this part of Kira's game?

"Urameshi!"

Yusuke's eyes flung open, and he sat up quickly despite the head rush he received once he was upright. He looked around with his wide brown eyes to see Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara hovering over him looking tense. Kuwabara sighed and smiled, and Yusuke realized Kuwabara was holding him. He pushed Kuwabara off, the copper haired man merely shrugging the push off. "You okay now Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked watching Yusuke look around.

"Where...where are we?" Yusuke demanded instead of answering the question, looking around for the demon child Kira. He was very confused...all he could see was the lake, and the picnic basket. Kuwabara looked over at Kurama and Hiei, then back to Yusuke. "Uh...at the Picnic sight?" Kuwabara answered scratching the back of his head. Yusuke looked down at himself. He was in his green swimming trunks, and they were still damp. 'Was Kira a dream?' Yusuke asked himself glancing about him. He sighed and looked at his friends, everything seemed real enough...

"What happened?" Yusuke finally asked, willing to accept that Kira had been the cause of...well something.

"I dunked you in the water and...well...uhm you never resurfaced!" Kuwabara replied sheepishly laughing nervously. Yusuke's face fell, "What?" Kuwabara smiled again, Hiei and Kurama shaking their heads in amusement. "I held you under the water a little too long Urameshi that's it!" Yusuke's temper instantly flared up, the crazy dream with Kira forgotten. "You mean to say you nearly KILLED ME?" Yusuke growled, standing up, his voice getting louder as he finished his sentence.

"Well...on accident but...your okay now..." Kuwabara laughed nervously, and got up as well, his wet curls spilling all over his face. "I'LL SHOW YOU OKAY!" Yusuke snarled, and swung his arm back and punched Kuwabara in the face. "YOU ASXHOLE!" Yusuke shouted at him as Kuwabara fell limp to the ground. At first Yusuke stood smirking, waiting for Kuwabara to get up, but when Kuwabara didn't get back up he frowned.  
"Kuwabara?"

Yusuke walked slowly up to him and kneeled by Kuwabara's side. His friend had gone still, and Yusuke couldn't understand that. He always hit Kuwabara nowadays, and Kuwabara had never been knocked out before. "Come on, I didn't knock you out," Yusuke sighed as he leaned closer to look at Kuwabara. But he froze eyes glued on his best friend. Kuwabara's neck had been snapped, and his jaw was slack, hanging open with a bit of blood and drool dripping from it. His eyes were wide open and a pale blue. The still form suddenly began to twitch as Kuwabara blinked, his muscles springing to life.

"Kck...k..."

Yusuke stared horrified, "Kuwa...waba..." He reached to touch Kuwabara and felt a wave of ice fill him as Kuwabara's fading eyes widened with fear, and tears filled his eyes. "N...Nk..." Kuwabara gurgled, fingers twitching a little bit. Kurama and Hiei who had been standing dead still sprang to life, grabbed Yusuke and shoved him away. "What have you done?!" Yusuke heard Hiei hiss. Yusuke fell on the ground, not even bracing himself for the hit. Kurama was next to Kuwabara saying something, but the human wasn't looking at Kurama. His fading eyes were on Yusuke, betrayal hidden in those pale orbs. Yusuke opened his mouth, and moaned, "Oh my God...what did I...What did I do? Kuwabara...I...I didn't mean...Kuwabara..."

Suddenly, as if someone had struck Kuwabara, his eyes turned black, and the tears he'd been holding in dripped down his face. The three demons heard the death's rattle, and watched as the loving giant of a man went completely limp, and died.

There was a long silence. Yusuke wasn't sure when he got up, but he soon found himself standing, and leaning against a tree in disbelief. He had...Kuwabara had...He was gone. Hiei and Kurama got up, both pale with shock. Hiei turned to look at Yusuke, eyes filled with disbelief. "Yusuke...what where you thinking?" Kurama asked softly not looking at the man who leaned so heavily against the tree. "I...I didn't mean...I always m-mess with Kuwa...Kuwa..." Yusuke could feel tears in his eyes, "Is he...Kurama is Kuwabara-"

"Yusuke...you killed him!" Kurama finally gasped his voice filled with rage, as he turned to stare at his friend..

"Yusuke...what did you think you were doing?" Hiei demanded slowly clenching a fist.

"I just I...I just..." Yusuke stuttered, starring at Kuwabara's dead eyes, "I...was just..."

"You killed him!" Kurama yelled at him, "YOU KILLED YOUR BEST FRIEND!" 

Yusuke looked over at his friends. Hiei was frowning, and looking at him, then at Kuwabara. The frown deepened. Kurama had this look as if he'd been betrayed. His eyes were filled with pain and he glared at Yusuke, his pain filled eyes turning to look at Kuwabara, and then back again at Yusuke.

"What the hell...WHAT THE HELL YUSUKE?!" Kurama suddenly burst making steady movements for Yusuke.

"I...I didn't mean..." Yusuke sputtered and held up his hands in defense. Kurama grabbed Yusuke roughly, "What, "didn't you mean," Yusuke?! You killed him! You snapped his neck!" Yusuke put his hands at Kurama's sides to try and push him off, when Yusuke felt a familiar sensation of his rekai leaving his fingertips. His power had suddenly jumped from his hands and sliced completely through Kurama, severing the man in half. Kurama's upper half fell backwards on the ground leaving Yusuke holding Kurama's bottom half. He screamed pushing the half a corpse away and then shakily looked over at Hiei.

Hiei's eyes were fixed on Kurama. "Kura..." Hiei whispered, his voice cracking. Hiei took one step forward, his legs trembling. He suddenly just couldn't move. He was in shock. "Kurama?" Hiei whispered again while Yusuke pulled himself away from the cut in half form. Hiei straightened himself up and looked back at Kuwabara, and then at his friend's dead body. Yusuke was on all fours, and crawled about three feet away before collapsing on the ground, and turning around to watch Hiei's next move. Hiei swallowed and removed his cloak and picked up the two pieces of his best friend, and laid them next to Kuwabara. He put Kurama back together best he could, and then used the cloak to cover Kurama's face. Hiei turned picking up the picnic blanket and moved to place it on Kuwabara.

Hiei paused, and closed Kuwabara's eyes with his palm, and then proceeded to cover Kuwabara up. He got back up off his knees and rose. He turned to Yusuke, red eyes glazed over with some emotion Yusuke couldn't describe. Without warning, Hiei roared and pulled out his sword. "YOU BASARD! WHAT THE FUK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Yusuke stayed seated on the ground, and shook his head, tears drenching his face. "Get up," Hiei instructed, waiting for Yusuke to get to his feet. Once Yusuke did Hiei charged Yusuke, who could barely dodge because of the weak sick feeling in his knees..

"I...I didn't...I didn't! No! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"

"YOU'RE A MONSTER!" Hiei roared, "Your powers too strong! You'll kill everyone you touch! You killed the hum-Kuwabara...and...and Kurama! Who's next? ME?!"

"No...Hiei that isn't true!!" Yusuke sobbed, clutching his stomach. "You've become a murderer!" Hiei was shouting. "NO!" Yusuke howled, holding his head.

"AT LEAST WHEN I KILLED, I HAD REASON! YOU'LL PAY!" Hiei raised his sword, and Yusuke swiped his arm at him, and found himself holding Hiei's right arm."Uh...AYYAGHHHHHHHHH!!!" Hiei cried collapsing, his veins wriggling from his shoulder, and spraying the ground with a tremendous force.Yusuke sat there numbly, holding the bandaged left hand, blood dripping down his face...wait...

Bandaged left hand?  
"The bandages from the Darkness flame, were on his right side..." Yusuke immediately seemed to understand...or hoped he did. "KIRA! THIS IS A DMMED ILLUSION! COME OUT YOU LITTLE BICH!"

The scene faded away and Kira stood their smiling calmly. "I knew you'd pass this test." She giggled, nodding her head. Yusuke looked around, there was no blood, just darkness. He looked back at the girl who smiled so serenely at him. He felt suddenly sick and weak. "Wh...Why..." Yusuke dropped to his knees. Kira smiled evilly, "Your test consists of your truth, or lies. This was a lie, so the answer to your question was correct. Only 2 more to go. The next ones may not be so easy for you..." Kira laughed and faded away. Yusuke sat alone staring at the spot, "That...that doesn't make sense..." Kira's voice giggled from somewhere in the shadows. "It's up to you to figure out if the illusions you see will in face happen. Too bad you're in control of your power! I liked the part where you ripped Hiei's arm off." Yusuke closed his eyes at Kira's laughing voice. He collapsed curling up in a ball, and screamed as loud as he could. By the time he was finished screaming he was alone in the darkness once more.

He had severed Kurama in two...

He took Hiei's arm...

He...

He had...

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke sobbed covering his face, "No Kuwabara..."

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"How do you think he's doing?" Kuwabara asked flipping through a magazine titled, "Queer Eye For The Strait Demon." Kurama and Hiei sat away from Kuwabara, their bodies tense from worry. Kuwabara had convinced himself early on that Yusuke was okay, but insisted on asking the others their Opinion every five minutes.

"I don't know..." Kurama replied bitterly.

"He's fine. He's Yusuke." Hiei muttered standing next to the mirror.

"Oh?"

The group turned.

Kira had appeared.

"Hi!" She said peppily, and to exaggerated this, she waved. Kuwabara looked at her and stood tense. This was the first time she had popped up since she had taken Yusuke. "Well?" Kuwabara whispered staring at Kira. The girl smiled, "I wish you wouldn't look at me-you're ugly." Kira giggled. Kuwabara smirked, "And I'm supposed to want a sadistic, midget-girl, to think I'm attractive?" As her face turned red, Hiei snorted hiding a laugh. Kurama however looked nervously between Kira and Kuwabara, He was stirring up trouble, and they were already in hot water enough.

The girl's green eyes flashed and Kuwabara found himself thrown into the wall, then up to the ceiling and then down on the ground. Kuwabara coughed remaining on all fours, as Kurama dropped next to his friend, Hiei stood in front of the two silently. Kira's angry face faded, and she giggled. "The test is down, Yusuke passed." She snapped her fingers, and faded away.

On the floor, a pool of black appeared, and Yusuke rose from it. The darkness faded and left Yusuke standing upright for a moment. Tears were wet on his face, and his eyes closed in some sort of inner turmoil. He moaned and collapsed on the ground with a loud thump. "URAMESHI!" Kuwabara cried, leaping up pushing past Kurama and Hiei. Kuwabara wiped his own bloody nose too concerned for his closest friend to worry about the injuries Kira had caused. Kuwabara was kneeling by Yusuke the next moment, his hands on Yusuke's shoulders.

Slowly Yusuke looked at him.

'Kuwabara...?' Yusuke thought brown eyes fixed on him, unaware of Hiei and Kurama who stood behind Kuwabara. Yusuke was hesitant to touch Kuwabara, but he had to know if that really was Kuwabara...if Kuwabara was...Reaching out, Yusuke lightly poked Kuwabara's cheek. After feeling the warm flesh beneath his fingertips, he placed his palm on the stunned man's face and then, casually touched the humans chin, and traveled up the other side. Yusuke sat up fully tears still dripping down his face, and moved his other hand to touch Kuwabara's neck gently. To say Kuwabara was mildly disturbed would be an understatement, but he was too scared to stop Yusuke. Kuwabara could sense his best friend had been through something horrid, and this was his way of trying to get back into reality.

Kurama and Hiei watched, with evident confusion, they didn't know what to do, so they followed Kuwabara's lead and remained still, and did not stop Yusuke's exploration of Kuwabara's face. Several minutes passed, and Kuwabara finally decided that enough was enough.

"Urameshi...forget about personal space?" Kuwabara asked raising an eyebrow pretending to be cool and calm.

Yusuke's eyes widened and filled with more tears, an inhuman cry fell out of Yusuke's lips as he flung his arms around his best friend, "KUWABARA!" Yusuke sobbed, pressing himself tightly to Kuwabara. Kuwabara blinked stunned, and slowly wrapped his arms around his best friend. The two had hugged before, not much, and hardly ever in public, because...well guys were guys, and guys didn't hug, or hold on to each other. Or at least that's what Yusuke, and Kuwabara both believed. But here Yusuke was, breaking his own rules, hugging and holding on to Kuwabara as if he'd never let go. "Urameshi?" Kuwabara whispered gently unsure of what to do.

"Ididn'tkillyou.Ididdn'tkillyou.Youarenotdead.You'realive.You'resafe." Yusuke babbled, clutching the startled Kuwabara to him."Urameshi...?" Kuwabara questioned again, pulling his smaller friend closer to him. Hiei and Kurama looked at each other, they didn't know what to do. Yusuke had cried before, and had hugged them all at least once, but he had never done something to this extent before. They has seen Yusuke cry when Kuwabara was, "killed," by Toguro, and had heard his regretful sobs, but these tears were hysterical, and this hug he was giving Kuwabara was so desperate. The scene was downright frightening.

"Kuwa...Kuwabara...I'm sorry...I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO...OH GOD...I DIDN'T MEAN TO KILL YOU!" Yusuke sobbed. Kuwabara blinked, and pet the back of Yusuke's head. "Kill me? I'm not dead! I'm right here!" Yusuke didn't answer he just held tighter on to Kuwabara.

"What the hell did you do to him?!" Hiei called out, looking for the child demoness. "Hmm...I thought his test was easy!" Her voice giggled before she appeared sitting on the coffee table. "He must care about you all a lot!" As she laughed, and faded away the room filled with a heavy tension.

What was to come out of this...if Yusuke could be reduced to tears like this...then what was to happen to the rest of them?

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revised chapter thee. Woot. much better. more angst and drama then before.


	4. A Simple Stick

REVISED CHAPTER 4! WOOTNESS!! 

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Not 15 minutes later, Kira pointed a small finger at Kurama, "I believe you are next!" Kurama glared at her and looked down expecting the floor to vanish beneath his feet, however Kira was clever and snapped her fingers. The next moment, out of the wall a black hand appeared grabbing a hold of Kurama and pulling him away from the group. Hiei managed to grab Kurama by the hand, his sheer strength causing the giant hand to strain in tugging Kurama away.

"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM TO THAT DARK HELL!" Hiei howled, Kira watching with a smile. She grabbed Hiei by his hair and yanked down. Hiei's eyes went wide in surprise as the small child sent him face first into the carpet, this child had been stronger then he'd anticipated. From the rough grab he released Kurama, and helplessly watched his friend disappear.

Kira giggled, and was gone. Hiei gritted his teach shouting, "DAMXIT!" punching the ground, and cracking the floor. Kuwabara looked over at Hiei and then to his best friend, who had let Kuwabara go, but remained resting against his chest, his eyes lost in deep thought.

"FXck." Kuwabara sighed softly, petting Yusuke's hair and turning away from the angered Hiei.

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Kurama gasped sharply, and opened his eyes sitting up as if he had woken from some nightmare.. He was in a lush forest, sunlight warming his skin, and wind blowing through his hair. For a moment he thought he was free, and had somehow escaped where ever he had been. But when he shook his head, and calmed down a little he realized that it was not so. He was still somewhere stuck with that demonic child, in some illusion.

"Hello Kurama," Kurama's voice chimed in.

Turning Kurama saw Kira sitting atop a branch.

"Well..what game will I be playing?" Kurama asked rising to his feet. He looked at her with a stare that had sent many an enemy to their knees in fear. But Kira merely smiled like a cherub, and continued floating in the air. "It's simple really," Kira said fluttering her eyelashes, "All you have to do is save your friends."

In a blink of an eye, Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara appeared tied up on a platform that had not been there before. Kurama jumped, startled to see his friends. They were all beaten up very badly, but how did they get here? "They're illusions aren't they?" Kurama asked not taking his eyes off his friends' doubles. "Yes, just shadows...with a catch I'll explain in due time," Kira said her voice suppressing a giggle. Kurama rolled his eyes and glanced at the copies of his friends, taking in their injuries.  
Hiei was in terrible condition. With each breath blood splattered on the ground. It seemed his ribs were cracked, and there were various cuts along his short body. He looked tired and haggard, and even swayed on his feet. "Ku..r..rama..."He muttered, blood pouring more rapidly out his mouth.

Yusuke was knocked out, laying limply on the platform just a few feet from Hiei. Blood died the wooden platform, a bit of it traveling down the wood to drip off the side. He had a deep gash in his head, and Kurama was sure he could see his skull. Kurama glanced at Kuwabara who looked perfectly fine, but in truth he was far from it.

Kurama could not see it but Kuwabara's spirit sword was somehow manipulated into hand cuffs, and slowly were piercing though his wrists, every time he moved. Kurama saw the pain in Kuwabara eyes, and noticed that his hands were behind his back, but he didn't dare ask where Kuwabara's injury was. This, "game," was unsettling, Kurama had a bad feeling about the state of these illusions.

Kurama let his eyes finally make his way to under the platform. The platform was a good 20 feet off the ground. And as if that was not bad, to make it worse under the platform were several spikes. Large, black, sharp spikes.

"When I snap my finger the platform will disappear, and they will fall to their deaths, for they are to weak to save themselves. Kira smiled, "Now here's the twist, if these illusions die because you couldn't save them, your friends in that room of mine, will be sent to the black door and die." Kurama's eyes widened and he stared at the girl in shock, "You...You..." Kurama's hands shook as he struggled to find the words to say.

"Monster? Demon?...well you're one too." The girl sighed pompously. "Now I'll give you 15 minutes on what you decide to do. But when you're ready, you only have 30 seconds to save them all before they drop." Kurama's shoulder's sagged at the mere thought of this task. If he had maybe 30 minutes then he was sure he could pull this off, but half that amount of time...he wasn't so sure. Kira's eyes flashed at Kurama's discomfort, "And one more thing...this is all you can use."

She tossed him a simple stick.

Kurama stared at it and then her.

"You are insane."

"No dear...just mad." Kira laughed out loud and began humming away the minutes. Kurama was more conflicted with the thought of id he failed, he would lose his real friends. As minutes passed by he thought up scenario after scenario of how this will end, and out of all the plans the only ones he could seem working is if he just saved two. Kira watched as Kurama's eyes moved rapidly, searching seemingly, for something. She smiled, "If you don't think you can save them all, may I suggest you just save Yusuke and Hiei? Kuwabara is human, and the weak link of the group if you ask me." Kira was further amused when Kurama flipped her off.

But by angering him he remembered something quite useful to himself.

So, after about 10 minutes, Kurama smiled confidently saying. "I'm ready."

"Oh?" Kira asked surprised.

"Yes."

She smiled and snapped her fingers.

Kurama, with great speed and skill, snapped his wrist out, the simple twig having grow into a larger club. It took all his strength but he threw the club with all his might, sending the spikes flying and laying flat on the ground. He collapsed on one knee cursing himself slightly, because he was pretty sure he had just dislocated his arm.

"You control plants?!" Kira screeched angered. Kurama only looked at her, and smirked.

Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara all fell, and Kurama smiled to himself. He knew his friends were now injured further, but they were most definitely...alive.

"I didn't know you controlled plants!" Kira growled, outraged.

"Now you do," Kurama said in a smug tone.

Kira screamed into her hands, and after a moment smiled, "Lets see what injuries your friends suffered."

Kurama slowly looked to his friends, willing them to stand up. Hiei was the first to get up and Kurama squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He wasn't sure if he could stomach seeing his best friend hurt any worse, but finally he looked over at Hiei, who stood waiting for Kurama to look at him. There was a single spike though his hip. Blood and pieces of bone dribbling down his pant leg, and stuck in the point of the spike.

Kurama Squeezed his eyes shut,. "Oh God."

When Kurama looked back, Hiei disappeared with a puff of smoke, and Kira laughed, "You people are so funny. These forms are only shadows of your friends. Shadows of what would happen if this ever took place."

Yusuke stood up, his left arm had been dislocated, and the bottom of his foot was pointing towards the sky. The bones pierced through the skin. Kurama starred at the injuries which he had contributed too mumbled some incoherent words.

Yusuke's form disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Kuwabara stood up.

Kurama smiled, there was no injuries on Kuwabara at all. Or so he thought. Kuwabara pulled out his hands from behind his back. His hands were gone, leaving behind stubs that shot out his blood. Kuwabara held them out for Kurama to see, and suddenly Kurama felt terrible pain. Kira's voice giggled, "I'm letting you feel their pain, I'd figured...you might like to know what you put them though."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! GAH STOP!"

Kurama grabbed his head, as he screamed, and only cried louder as someone shook him. "Kurama!"

"NOO! GOD...HIEI! YUSUKE! KUWABARA...HIEI!"

"Kurama!"

SLAP!

The red head shut up and turned to look at the assaulter. "Yus...Yusuke?" Yusuke had him by his shoulders. He was back in the lobby. The crazed look in Yusuke's eyes that had been there since the test had disappeared, and he looked much calmer, even though his eyes now had shock and worry in them for Kurama.

"Yusuke..." Kurama breathed a sigh of relief.

Hiei dropped down to his knees, grabbing Kurama's shaking hands, "You;re okay. Kurama...come on." Kurama looked at them with wide eyes, and took in slow deep breaths. He stood on unstable legs and walked past them. He slumped in a chair, hand over his eyes. Kira giggled, "He didn't like my game too much..." Kira hovered over Kurama, "But you gotta admit...the whole...I have no hands thing looked nifty eh? And What about Yusuke's foot?! Wasn't the gore wonderful?!"

Kurama growled and slammed his fist at Kira, not even scratching her energy field.

Kira giggled, and sat on her desk. "Now, 2 passes. Lets see...Hiei..." Hiei looked over at her. "Ready to succeed? Or...suffer a bone crunching defeat?"

"You little-" Hiei was cut off as the floor swallowed him up.

Kira vanished giggling.

Kuwabara sat on the floor, one hand on the wall and the other over his eyes.

Yusuke went back to his own corner, swearing and trying to get his own nightmare out of his head.

Kurama sat staring at nothing.

His logic had failed him...

So had his instincts...

Everything was easy, until now...

Somehow...he'd made the wrong move...

He'd failed.

This was only a test, a cruel game but...

"How long until I fail them for real?" he whispered.

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REVISED CHAPTER FOUR! WOO-HOO!

Okay so Kurama is now doubting himself...not cool...at all.


	5. The Chained Man

Alright now here's this revised chapter.

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Hiei landed gracefully in the pitch black darkness, which was far better then how everyone else's landings had been going. Landing perfectly was easy for him in this darkness; He was used to the dark.

"Hiei!" He turned around seeing the small girl smiling widely at him. He glared at the girl, as the room slowly began to get just the slightest bit brighter. "Your test is easy! Save your sister!" Kira said with a perky smile. Hiei's eyes widened, "What?!" He turned sharply around and finally he spotted her laying limply on the floor, blood all around her.

"YUKINA!" 

Before he could run to her, walls appeared surrounding her. Only three, but they had completely sealed her away.

"Oh and you can't die, or kill to get to her!" Kira said wagging her finger, smiling.

Kira pointed at the wall on the left. "This wall, once cut down will kill Yukina," Kira pointed to the wall on the right, "This wall, will take your soul, and destroy it." Kira snapped her fingers, and the middle wall sunk into the floor. "And the last wall..." Hiei gasped as through the floor a chained Kuwabara rose head hanging low pointed towards the ground. He was beaten horribly, and blood littered the floor upon his entrance. 

Kuwabara raised his head slightly and Hiei sucked in a startled breath. "Kuwabara…?" Hiei ventured to ask. Kuwabara's face was scratched, and one of his eyes was completely gone. IT looked as if his nose was starting to fall off, and his skin hung in pieces from his cheek. He looked terrible, and Hiei took one step for him, staring into the one remaining eye. Kuwabara's head dropped again the man groaning loudly, his small movement causing the chains to move him the slightest bit. His shirt was gone too, blood, and burns, along with black bruises stood out on his pale skin.

Hiei took a step forward once more, and heard a slight splashing under his feet. He glanced down finding blood below his feet but not just that. Yusuke's and Kurama's heads laid at his feet, their blood, and flesh smearing, and painting the tiles.

"Oh...God..." Hiei gasped his voice seemingly to have shrunk.

Kira smiled, "You must save Yukina, but you're not allowed to die, or kill, but the only way to save her is thought your chained enemy-"

"That Fool is not my enemy!" Hiei snapped, staring hatefully at the little girl.

"But he's not your friend now is he?" Kira asked innocently.

Hiei stared at the girl, and then at the task in front of him. Kuwabara was chained and dangling, maybe...

Hiei tried to go around Kuwabara, but bolts of electricity fired through his system. He was launched back, and screamed as he felt blood trickle down his head.

"DAMXIT!"

Kira laughed, "Not that way...it won't work!" Hiei starred at Kuwabara in front of him. His dying eyes looking at him. The only way to save his sister...was to kill Kuwabara...but...Hiei looked down at Hiei and Kurama's heads. Who had killed them? His only friends...the only small happiness he was granted in his life. Kuwabara was not his best friend, he was hardly a

good friend.

But...

Kuwabara was something constant in his life. Could he really just kill him? He'd made threats...he'd even vowed to do it...but...how? Hiei looked at the hanging Kuwabara, meeting his eyes.

"Agh...sa...save Yukina...pl...please!" He choked as blood began to spray the ground. Hiei looked at the pitiful man, and felt his heart tighten when tears dripped down Kuwabara's, obviously frightened face. Though Kuwabara was putting on a tough act, and claimed he was ready to die, to save the woman he claimed he loved, Hiei could tell Kuwabara did not want to die. He did not want to die, and had this fear of Hiei. Kuwabara was obviously afraid that Hiei Would kill him.

Hiei felt a twinge of pain, he threatened, but as the saying goes his bark was worse then his bite and he didn't mean it.

The last thing he was wanted was to kill Kuwabara.

Kuwabara looked at him again with his bleary eyes, "Plea...please...hurry...do it."

He closed his eyes tightly, waiting.

How...how could he do it?

Kuwabara and he had always hated each other, but how many times had Hiei helped Kuwabara...and even time to time, Kuwabara tried to help him, and well, sometimes he even managed to help. Hiei had his poker face on. He looked calm, collected, maybe even heartless, but underneath it all, he was in a sea of torment, and confusion. How could he kill him? Saving His sister was the obvious choice but...

Hiei looked down at the heads again. 

"I…uh," He looked up at Kuwabara, who had closed his eyes tight obviously expecting a blow of death.

"Oh, and If your wondering...You forsook them Yusuke and Kurama I mean. You killed them, to get to your goals of course...why should this be any different?" Kira laughed waving a hand.

Hiei's mouth opened in shock, and instantly he clamped it back down. Blood dribbled down the corners of his mouth. He was biting his tongue, so not to cry out in rage.

He felt a deep guilt, disgust, and shame, swell and bubble within him. "I killed them...?"

"Yes," Kira nodded, "Now...forsake the only one that's left. You never liked him anyway. You never cared. With him gone...it could be just you, and your sister, No one else."

Hiei pulled out his sword...He looked at Kuwabara, who met his gaze. "I am not allowed to by the sick rules to kill you, and even if I was...I..."

Hiei put his sword away. "No..."

Kira began to giggle, "Is that your final answer? If it is, it's the Black door for you!!"

Hiei opened his mouth...

"You're pitiful."

Hiei and Kira looked at the chained up Kuwabara. The man was staring at the group, it looking as if all the pain was gone. He blinked slowly and repeated to Hiei, "You're pitiful."

"HE CAN'T DO THAT!? HE CAN'T SPEAK UNLESS I COMMAND IT!!" Kira roared, angry to see her shadow of Kuwabara speak. "Yeah well, I'm ruining your plans,." The chained Kuwabara said smugly, "Look Hiei...this isn't real. Those heads...pff! Stupid copies, and this body...it's just a doll. Just kill me...go ahead! Kill me and save Yukina! Suggestion, Kira next time you make your "doll" of me, try a little harder to block me out of it."

"Moron! I can't kill in this little test!" Hiei snapped. However, Hiei felt an odd since of relief wash over him. "Oh..." Kuwabara muttered. He shrugged, the doll of Kuwabara smiling, "I'll help you. See ya."

Hiei watched the dummy, and...

SQUISH!

Blood sprayed Hiei's face. There was a hole where Kuwabara's heart should be. Hiei wiped the blood away, a slight tremble in his hand. He picked up Kuwabara body, and laid it gently on the ground next to the heads of his friends. He let the smallest of a smile trace his lips, "So he used his abilities to blow up this doll's heart….way to go nigen."

Kira was absolutely livid.

She was screaming angrily, as Hiei reached his goal.

With a tender side he never showed, he lifted Yukina up and turned to look at Kira.

"I win." He smirked, classic Hiei style, and Hiei found himself in the white room. He looked around; Hiei felt tension leave his shoulders when he saw Kurama and Yusuke gathered around Kuwabara. Kuwabara was on the floor, and Hiei felt his heart jump to his throat. He approached them, and looked down at Kuwabara. 

The man was sweating, and looked sick, his eyes glazed over.

"Kuwabara?"

Hiei met Kuwabara's eyes, and he smiled up at him, slowly sitting.

"Hey..." Kuwabara rasped shaking his head, and clearing his throat, "I didn't realize Kira was taking you to another dimension...lot harder to posses a copy of me, than I thought." Hiei nodded and glared, "I didn't need your help. Blowing up the doll's heart was a little much."

"Oh...so that's why you're covered in...well I just new I killed the doll. I didn't know that I did that...but...Anyways, you did need my help...She fixed the game." Kuwabara told him. "I could sense she was hiding something..." 

Yusuke helped Kuwabara stand, and gently let him go.

Kuwabara looked fine at first, but he began to tumble back down.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke cried startled. But there had been no real reason for alarm. Hiei had caught Kuwabara's wrist, and helped him to stable himself in a quick flash.

"Thanks shorty."

"Baka."

"NOOOO! NOO!! YOU CHEATED!!" Kira had appeared, roaring. Her face twisted in malice, and her eyes narrowed. She waved her fists and throwing a temper tantrum in the air.

"I'LL KIL-"

**_"Kira..."_**

The room went silent and Kira immediately calmed.

"Who is that?" Kuwabara asked looking around for the source of the voice.

**_"Kira...what is the meaning of trying to set up a game?"_**

"M...master! He...He...They...NO ONE WAS LOSING! I HAD TO DO SOMETHING!"

Kira's face snapped to the side, as if she had been slapped. She returned to gaze back at the others, a large welt on her face.

**_"Kira...You will not interfere again."_**

"Yes, master."

**_"But..."_** The low voice chuckled, **_"As punishment for Kuwabara helping Hiei to cheat...the images of your friends your loved ones, in your tests, will now hold the lives of your real friends. If the images are killed, so are they."_**

"Great..." Yusuke growled.

**_"That is all."_**

"Guessing that was the head asXhole." Yusuke muttered angrily.

Kira had gone deathly quiet. She glared at Kuwabara.

"You will be punished."

End of this chapter. Kira is about to cause some real problems soon so watch out Kuwabara!!


	6. Welcome To Hell

Revised chapter! Wootnss!

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Kuwabara let his eyes meet with the small demonic child's own wild and crazed ones. He was tired and felt drained of his energy, but he was Kazuma Kuwabara-the man of honor! This child could not scare him; make him forget who he was. No child would ever scare him...

…Okay well maybe just this one.

Kuwabara plastered on a smile and told her with confidence, "Bring it on little lady. I'm ready for-" Kuwabara let out a small groan, and toppled over, Yusuke catching him.

Yusuke shook, eyes wide, "Someone take him from me...or..."

"What Yusuke? You might kill him?" Kira asked smugly, "My...you are a baby!"

Yusuke glared and stopped shaking, helping a weary Kuwabara rise.

Kira smirked at the tuckered out youth. "Are you sure you're ready? Did you strain your mind too much from saving that pathetic "friendship" between you and Hiei?"

Kuwabara glared at her, "Friendships are not pathetic Kira...If I die, then I'll die knowing people cared for me unlike you! You'll die alone."

Kira rolled her eyes, "Answer my question…are you ready for your test?"

Kuwabara opened his mouth but...

"He's not," Hiei spoke stopping Kuwabara from uttering a single syllable, "He's not ready for anything."

"Give him 5 minutes to rest, and then he'll be ready for what ever madness you have to offer him!" Kurama spat at the girl, eyes shining once again from the pure faith he had in Kuwabara.

"My, my! Level headed Kurama has a temper!" Kira giggled, "This game _is_ fun."

She turned her glare back on Kuwabara, "Ready or not it's time for your test...and I'm going to punish you good."

Kuwabara pretended to clean his ear out, "I'm sorry where you talking? All I heard was what sounded like a long drawn out piece of bull shit!"

Yusuke laughed at Kuwabara's boldness as Kira went deep red with anger, and humiliation.

"ENOUGH!" Kira screeched. At her intense screech, Kurama, Hiei, and Yusuke were ripped away from Kuwabara, as the mirror seemed to come alive. The glass turned to liquid and wrapped itself around Kuwabara. "You stupid human!" Kira snarled eyes a blaze with anger. Kira snapped her fingers and the odd liquid that had once been a mirror squeezed and curled around Kuwabara.

"Aggh!" Kuwabara cried out as he felt the life get squeezed out of him.

"LET HIM GO!" Yusuke reached for him, but Kuwabara was suddenly sucked into the odd liquid, and with a blink of an eye the liquid became a mirror once more. The room was still, and Kuwabara was gone to face whatever test, and whatever punishment Kira had in store for the man that had dared to challenged her.

"Dammit!" Kurama growled hitting the wall in the hopelessness of it all. Hiei stared at the mirror and found himself pacing. Yusuke went to stand by the mirror placing his brow on the cool glass, "God…God get us out of this. Please. Please get us though this," Yusuke begged whatever entity could hear him. They had to get out of this…they had to get out.

Kira's voice cackled in the room, though the little girl was also gone, and Yusuke shuddered in fear, thinking that maybe out meant only one thing.

Death.

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Kuwabara was falling in the darkness screaming in the air. Until finally he landed on the ground...on his head.

"KIRA YOU BRAT! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"

High-pitched giggling filled the air, answering Kuwabara's angry shout.

Kuwabara got up mumbling and the darkness began to take shape. The world grew fuzzy, and Kuwabara closed his eyes and rubbed them trying to make everything come into focus. When it all finally fell into place, Kuwabara thought he was in some whacked up dream. On the right of him was a path with flowers, and birds, and bees, and everything looked eerily happy. To the left of Kuwabara was another path, glowing red, with smoke seeping from the path. It was considerably darker on that path.

Kira suddenly materialized in front of Kuwabara, causing him to jump.

"Now Kuwabara, your test is simple," Kira said with a sugary smile and the batting of her eyes, "Either choose the path of happiness, and kitties and go have fun down there," Kira said pointing at the friendlier path, "Or..." She smiled, "Save your friends, by walking over a pit of fire, hot steel, and coals." She said pointing to the path on Kuwabara's left. Kuwabara swallowed…the path may have only been about 6 feet long but still…

"Oh Shit," Kuwabara couldn't help but gasp.

"Oh yes...and you can't use shoes, or socks," Kira added grinning in delight.

The red head glanced down to see he was already barefoot. "Ohcrap.Ohcrap.Ohcrap!" Kuwabara muttered through gritted teeth.

Kira smiled at Kuwabara's reaction.

"Now here's my punishment, if you go down the burning path, the pain will not just be at your feet, it will consume your whole body. But your task is so simple Kuwa-chan," Kira babbled, "Once you walk down the path all you have to do is untie your friends who are on the other side waiting for you. It's an easy choice, path of pain, or path of pleasure…it's such an-"

Kuwabara felt sick to his stomach, but smiled and interrupted Kira, "You're right this is easy Kira." And with that he veered to his left standing before the glowing path.

Kira smiled knowingly. "I knew you'd choose the painful path...humans and their loyalties! BAH!" She spit in the pit, it making a loud hissing sound.

Kuwabara stepped up the path, and took in a deep breath.

He took a step, and screamed.

The burning sensation spread all over his body.

Flames consumed him as it came up in a fiery twister. The burning steal, hot coals, and fires from Hell, were licking at his body; it felt like the flesh was being melted off his very bone. He marched steadily on-screaming in pure agony-his blood filling the air. What made it worse was for the fact that the whole time he was walking he prayed...He prayed that he would die. His steps became shorter, but the pain seemed to increase. He was dying inside, outside...all over. He felt skin melt away and go up with the flames. Kuwabara had no watery tears, but he did have bloody tears. He was being melted, and slashed away by this horrible fire.

It seemed as if time was against him. He felt eternity roll on, and the pain didn't stop...God...he was going to die. Then...

Without warning the hot fire was gone, leaving behind a crispy corpse. Kuwabara untied his friends and the entire scene faded away.

Kira hovered in front of him smiling down at the burnt body.

Kuwabara had no hair what so ever, and his skin was charred and black, only a few spots red. It looked as if the heat of the fire, coals, and steel had melted half of his face. His brow seemed to have sunk into his left eye. Kuwabara's fingers were no more than nubs, and he had no toes. The muscle tissue could be seen on several patches of Kuwabara's body, and one of his bones was clearly visible in Kuwabara's foot. His nose, was now shaped like the skull part of his nose, the flesh of his nose haven been completely melted off. He was a deformed monster, which had seen so much pain. Kuwabara was no longer human, too tortured to be a human, too covered with horror to be a man.

Looking at him now, all you could tell that he was, was a charred piece of flesh.

He lay on the ground, crying out in misery and pain. Kira sat down next to him smirking. "Now you know not to mess with me don't you?" She smiled wider as Kuwabara sobbed with the intense pain.

No. Intense is not the correct term. There is no correct term for this type of pain.

How can one describe Hell?

"There, there, Mama will take care of you..." She placed her small hand on his back and began to rub, his skin coming off in flakes. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! NOOOO!! STOP!! AAAHHHHAAAAHHH!!" Kuwabara cried out, and when he ran out of breath, laid still, and sobbed until his breath came out in short gasps and his voice was hoarse and raw.

After he could no longer cry, he lay there, and his breaths died away along with the fearless, brave, noble man he had once been.

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Yusuke paced the waiting room, and looked back at the mirror, half expecting Kuwabara to be spit out. Hiei and Kurama sat near each other, not exchanging any words, not able to find any words to say to one another. A strange sound filled the air and all heads jerked to the center of the room.

The floor turned black and Kuwabara appeared on the floor. He lay on his stomach sobbing and moaning with pain. He was normal, there were no burns, his hair was back, and Kira was doing loops in the air not even touching Kuwabara. The only thing wrong with Kuwabara, was his shoes and socks were missing, and the bottom of his feet were burnt up and bleeding very badly.

"KUWABARA!" Yusuke cried out his voice catching.

Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei knelt by their friend, who cried out with pain when they neared him.

Yusuke put his hand on Kuwabara's back who only screamed with pain. "MY SKIN! MY SKIN! KIRA STOP RUBBING IT OFF!! I BEG YOU! AAAAAYYYYAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!"

"KIRA YOU DEVIL CHILD STOP YOUR ILLUSION!" Hiei cried out losing his patience.

Kira hit her head, "Oh silly me! That's what I forgot!"

She snapped her fingers, and Kuwabara stopped screaming. He didn't open his eyes, and just remained curled up in the fetal position sobbing for the world to hear. Yusuke laid down on the floor next to Kuwabara, rubbing his back, willing his best friend to open his eyes. Kurama and Hiei busied them selves with bandaging Kuwabara's feet. They were horrible, and even Hiei couldn't stand the smell of Kuwabara's burnt flesh.

"We need a doctor...or Yukina…or _something_...if he doesn't get help in the next 24 hours, he could lose both his legs!" Kurama murmured concerned, eyes wide.

"Just bandage them good. We'll worry about a doctor later." Hiei ordered.

"Well, all of you have made it through round one! As a reward, you all get an hour-long rest. Be back soon! TATA!" Kira said with a giggle as she faded away

"WAIT!" Yusuke roared. "Wh...What the hell did you do to him!?"

"He had to be punished," Kira's voice rang out sweetly.

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Okay...bad chapter...bad...if you threaten to eat my first born you might want to hold on until we get to the next rounds...which are about ten times worse...but hey! For the ones that suffered most in these they get a small break, and easy tests...sorta not really...


	7. Happy Pills

Kurama sat curled up in the corner holding his knees, head resting on them.  
  
Hiei stood away from them all, whispering too himself about, God only knows what. His eyes seemed confused, as if he was calculating a hard equation in his head.  
  
Yusuke lay on the floor, rubbing Kuwabara's back, who was still crying, and had yet to open his eyes. It was as if he was still living through the pain, for randomly he'd scream.  
  
He would call out their names, or maybe his sisters. It was heartbreaking to hear him at one point, whisper, "Mom...Dad..." Everyone knew that Kuwabara's parents had died. Kuwabara seemed to be fighting with insanity, and it sounded as id he was losing  
  
When he did scream, Yusuke's eyes would tear over, he'd pull at his hair, and his face would tremble. He was doing his best not to cry. Kurama would jump, and hug himself tighter. Hiei would look over at Kuwabara, and then go back to whispering to himself.  
  
"Kuwa...Kuwabara you hear me? We're gonna get out..out of this...Get some therapy...and then go on some happy pills." Yusuke joked, allowing a few tears to spill out from his eyes.   
  
"Th...Then...we're going out for ice cream." Everyone's heads shot up. Yusuke began to laugh, "Yeah...Kuwabara...Yeah!" Kuwabara opened his eyes, which were red from crying and he wearily placed and arm on Yusuke's back. "Hey, Urameshi." His voice trembled when he spoke, snd he sounded like he was talking while several items were lodged in his throat, but he put on a goofy grin.  
  
Overcome with relief, Yusuke grabbed Kuwabara and hugged them, which was a bit hard, for they were still on the floor. Kurama and Hiei drifted over.  
  
Hiei was still whispering with himself.  
  
"You flip?" Kuwabara asked, not bothering to sit up.  
  
"No...thinking. Try it some time." Hiei growled.  
  
Kuwabara rolled on his back and nodded, not even bothering with a retort. Yusuke lay on his back as well, his arm still around Kuwabara's shoulders.  
  
"What happened in there?" Kurama asked gently. "My punishment..." Kuwabara whispered tears welling in his eyes. He grabbed at his hair pulling it loose; both he and Yusuke's hair was falling out of their hard gelled up shells.  
  
He shook his head, and muttered too himself, ashamed.  
  
"I...I had to walk on a path to rescue you all, It was only 6ft long...Not too bad...but...the...the whole way there, I was encased in flames. I...I had to walk while burning coals, hot melted steel, and fire ate my body...I had no fingers...no hair...all I had was pain..." Kuwabara began crying despite his wishes." I became a piece of flesh, ta...trapped inside my walls of pain..."  
  
"That brat...after it was all done...rubbed my skin off...mocking me why'll I couldn't move...." Kuwabara placed his hand over his eyes, "Oh God, I can still hear...myself screaming."  
  
Yusuke pulled his friend to him hugging him.  
  
"Look at us..." Hiei growled "...we're a bunch of wimps."  
  
"If you went through what Kuwabara went though-" Yusuke growled, but Kurama shook his head. "Yusuke...I believe...Hiei has an idea."  
  
Yusuke raised his eyebrows looking at Hiei, who had an odd look in his face. Slowly a devilish grin broke out on his face. Yusuke sat up pulling Kuwabara up with him, who had gone silent, but was still exhausted.  
  
The room got deadly still, when Hiei burst out laughing. It echoed in the silent room, and it sounded as if he was a child at play. He laughed, and leaned into his hand. And finally said, "My they are clever."  
  
"I figured it out...they want to break us...drive us apart. And so far, we've done nothing, but roll over and let them." Hiei smiled, a wicked gleam in his eyes.  
  
"We'll go along with their sadistic plans...and make them believe we're worse off than we already are. What ever we do, we can't let them tear us apart."  
  
"Hiei...do you think we can do that!?" Kurama sighed. "We're emotionally drained already. And since our tests...we've been struggling just to talk to one another! "   
  
"Yes...but...Kurama we must try! What they're hoping for, is for us to get divided...for us to lose our strength as a team...They're trying to break us down with our fears." Hiei smirked. "Its a brilliant plan...but now that we know their hand...They're not going to win this game. We just have to remember, this is a sick game. We're the players, and they are the enemy."  
  
"All we have to do is hold on to our sanity."  
  
"All right." Kurama said, a flash of hope appearing in his lovely green eyes. "I'll remember that whatever happens in their...doesn't matter here. Those images are after all, just that, images."  
  
"Okay...we're good to go...but I get dibs on killing the guy who's behind all this." Yusuke said with a smirk, sounding like his old self again.   
  
Kuwabara rest limply on Yusuke, his tired eyes darting this way and that. He did not respond, and his eyes came to rest on the mirror, which had taken him away. He pressed himself a bit harder to Yusuke, who held him tighter.   
  
Hiei surprised the others by tenderly touching his shoulder, "Kuwabara...I know Kira's gunning for you. You pissed her off, and she might make your test's the hardest. Come on you fool...show us that annoying human perseverance you always have."  
  
Kuwabara remained silent for a moment and then in a low voice whispered, "First off...I don't know what the heck a perseverance is...and secondly...don't worry...you can count on me." He smiled, and then promptly fell asleep.   
  
Yusuke was startled at how limp he went, and for a second thought he died, but smiled as he saw his chest move in a rhythmic pulse. Breathe, and the let it out.  
  
"He has the right idea...we need to get some rest."Kurama turned to look at Hiei. "All of us." He said strictly, knowing Hiei might protest.  
  
So for the rest of their time the group slept on the floor curled up together, well mostly. Hiei slept sitting up next to Kurama, but you know that's him.  
  
They had hope. A frail sliver, but it was still hope.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Okay round 2 is coming up. Don't you hate Kira? Yusuke is once again, picked to go first. This time the test is about his mom....what sick twisted thing is he going to see? 


	8. Mom

Kira flew in the room smiling at the scene she saw.  
  
"Awww...all sound asleep...." She smiled. She snapped her fingers, and the group screamed as electricity swarmed over them.  
  
"DAM* YOU!" Yusuke snapped angrily.   
  
"If I had my deadly plant seeds..." Kurama howled angrily.  
  
Hiei glared at her, growling with fury.  
  
Kuwabara had risen, but didn't say anything.  
  
Kira noticed and floated up too him, looking at his downcast face.  
  
"Kuwabara...your awfully quiet..."  
  
No sound.  
  
The other three watched her with hatred, burning in their eyes.  
  
Kira turned to them smugly, "It seems that I have already reformed one of you! The rest of you will soon follow!" She bragged.  
  
As she was busy bragging, Kuwabara made faces from behind her. It took all their will not to burst out in laguhter.  
  
"You all must choose again!"  
  
The screens were back, but not with numbers.   
  
The 4 screens were colors, red, orange, white, and black.  
  
Yusuke chose red, Kuwabara took orange, Hiei chose black, and Kurama white.  
  
Kira smiled and pulled out a note pad out of thin air.   
  
"Hee...Poor Yusuke...Your first again!" Yusuke shrugged, though he wished he wasn't. "Next is Kuwabara, then Kurama, and finally Hiei." She smiled.   
  
"These new orders do make the games more interesting don't they?"  
  
"Yusuke....your test is now!" She snapped her fingers, and he felt something cold slap his face. The wall swallowed him and he was gone.  
  
********  
  
Yusuke opened his eyes, and Kira was there smiling.  
  
"You have lovely eyes..."   
  
Yusuke growled sitting up.  
  
"Now...the question is, if this next scene your going to partake in is real, or false. I expect an answer within the hour. I'll be back for one!" The devil child cackled and disappeared.   
  
Scenery began to take place.  
  
Yusuke found himself in a room. Everything was white, or a pale shade of a color. There were people in hospital gowns walking all around. They muttered things about nothing, some were young, most were old.  
  
One man sat talking to a teddy bear, not paying attention to anything else.  
  
One woman was twitching and looking all around the room.  
  
"Where am I..." Yusuke asked stepping away from the people.  
  
"Yusuke..."   
  
He recognized that voice.  
  
He spun to see his Mom, and he felt cold run through his blood.   
  
Atsuko lay in a bed, her hair gray and her faced aged. She looked to be about in her early 70's.  
  
She was looking at her hand and wiggling her fingers, moving her hand up and down. She was older, but she looked young. Like a child entertaining herself.  
  
"Yusuke."  
  
"Mom I'm here!" Yusuke ran to her taking her hands.  
  
She looked at him and smiled.  
  
"Yusuke...Your so young...but I keep getting old." The sweet smile faded and she began to arch her back and scream, lashing out at him.   
  
"YOUR A MONSTER! YOUR A MONSTER!? WHY DON'T YOU AGE!? WHY!?" She began to hit him, and he let her. "YusukeYusukeYusuke! I'm sorry!" She grew still. "I must've ruined you. Broke you...I couldn't raise you right...so you didn't grow right...yes."  
  
She laughed madly, "Yes...broken...like my life."  
  
Her crazed eyes looked at him deperatly,"Why do you still look like the 14 year old boy that came back from the dead?" She grabbed him, "STOP LOOKING AT ME! STOP! I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE ME! GIVE ME MY SON, YOU DEMON! GIVE ME MY SON!"  
  
A man in white rushed to her, and pumped liquid into her I.V.  
  
Atsuko stilled, and her lids closed.  
  
Yusuke sat their holding her hand, crying.  
  
This wasn't real...This was too horrible to be real. His Mom...She wouldn't go mad...She wouldn't care that he hadn't aged.  
  
Why would that bother her...  
  
"Mom...I don...I don't understand...Why...why does it make you scarred to see me so young still?"  
  
Because humans aged.  
  
He wasn't full human...and he already knew...he'd die long after everyone. He'd die, maybe thousands of years old...  
  
"Mom..." she would be left behind.  
  
In an asylum, where she screamed, and raved, wondering how her son remained this way.  
  
"MOM!" Yusuke flung himself on her and cried bitterly.  
  
"MOM I LOVE YOU! MOM!"  
  
Atsuko lay limp under him. Her eyes moving under her lids as she dreamed.  
  
"How touching..."   
  
Yusuke bolted up.  
  
"Yusuke...is this real?" Kira was floating in front of him her legs crossed calmly.  
  
He stood, everything going dark. His eyes ached from the sudden stop of tears.  
  
"Well?" Kira smiled at him cruelly. "Tell me. Is this real or is it a lie."  
  
Yusuke looked at her calmly, but tears were back in his eyes.  
  
"Nothing was out of order. Nothing."  
  
Kira raised her eyebrows, confused.  
  
"The last time, Hiei's bandages had been on the wrong side...but this time everything was correct. Every speckle of my mother's eyes. Every strand of hair...all correct."  
  
"I have no time for your silly rant!" Kira snapped.  
  
"What is your answer?"  
  
"This...This is real. This is my future."  
  
Kira smiled at Yusuke, who looked her dead on in the eyes.  
  
"Your answer was correct."  
  
As soon as the words left her mouth, he found himself standing in front of the mirror. "Yusuke!" Kurama gasped from behind him.  
  
They ran up too him, Kuwabara putting his arm on his shoulder.  
  
"Urameshi?"  
  
Yusuke slowly turned, tears dripping down his smiling face. "Mom...Mom I'm so sorry." He began to sob, shaking horribly and was wrapped up in an embrace from Kuwabara.  
  
"Easy pal...easy."   
  
Hiei glared at Kira who smiled back.  
  
"He doesn't like his future...not one bit!" She giggled, and Kurama growled, attacking her, hitting her shield like once before.  
  
"Kurama, Kurama! You are becoming very violent!" Kira said making her voice low, and then laughed as if she'd made some grand joke.  
  
She turned her eyes to Kuwabara who was hugging Yusuke and patting his back.  
  
"Next..."  
  
Kuwabara fell as the floor opened up. Yusuke grabbed his hand, but the darkness was pulling him in.  
  
Yusuke screamed as Kira shot a blast at him, and Kuwabara fell into the darkness.  
  
His eyes wide, and mouth open, his entire body convulsing.  
  
Yusuke's blood was splashed on his face.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
la. A bit short. ah by the way bit-this isn't a yaoi. I wanted two of my friend to read it but they dom't read Yaoi. You can take it as a yaoi though. ^_^ ummmm oh yeah! NEXT TIME:Kuwabara's test. This time its mental abuse. 


	9. I Already Knew

Kuwabara groaned as he opened his eyes, sitting up.  
  
"Good morning...You've been asleep for quite some time!" Kira said giggling.  
  
When Kuwabara didn't say anything she continued, "You've been asleep for 2 hours! Your poor friends are nervous wrecks...especially since I keep telling them, that your screams are really annoying."  
  
Kira waved her hand, and Kuwabara jumped to his feet. "YOU-" He cried out in pain, and fell to his knees.  
  
He'd forgotten about the burns.  
  
"You don't have to worry about standing." She smiled as fresh blood pooled out his feet. "Your lucky that the bleeding is little and slow, or else you would die in a matter of hours..."  
  
Kuwabara sat up looking at her. "Your test doesn't have anything to do with any physical pain what so ever!" She shouted joyously.  
  
"But..." She leered at him.  
  
"It does have a bit of mental pain."  
  
Kuwabara turned from her and starred at the darkness.  
  
"Stupid, I haven't started the test!"  
  
"I find the scenery over here much more appealing."   
  
Kira growled and snapped her fingers.  
  
In front of Kuwabara appeared the images of his friends.  
  
"All you have to do is tell me which one is lying!"  
  
As soon as she spoke the words, Yusuke spoke, "Kuwabara's too weak for this team, he endangers himself, and every mission!"   
  
Kurama followed," If I wasn't so kind, I'd tell him to shut up! He is not as great as he boasts."   
  
Hiei followed, "Sometime I wonder what It'd be like to watch him get crushed, his blood flying everywhere, and splattering on the wall..."  
  
Kuwabara felt his heart break. Only one was lying?  
  
Kira smiled as Kuwabara's expression changed.  
  
"Difficult I kn-"  
  
"I already got the answer."  
  
Kira jumped "what?"  
  
Kuwabara looked at her, his eyes filled with agony, and bitterness.  
  
"None of them are lying, or telling the truth. Its half truths. Their thoughts aren't fully finished."  
  
Kira blinked, and then her face became enraged, "HOW COULD YOU FIGURE IT OUT SO QUICKLY!?"  
  
"You think I don't know...?"  
  
Kira paused to look at him.  
  
Kuwabara was smiling, tears rolling off his cheeks.  
  
"You think I don't know what everyone says about me...what they think of me? I can't change who I am..." Kuwabara griped his pants, "Even strangers hate me on the spot..."  
  
Kira smiled...well maybe this test wasn't a waste after all...  
  
"But...Those three, along with a few others are the only ones...who think good of me...but of course...they do have their own other opinions about me..."  
  
"Do you blame them?"  
  
Kuwabara stifled a sob, and in a cracky voice whispered, " I'm not surprised..."  
  
"Kuwabara?!"   
  
The said redhead looked up to see he was no longer where he thought he was. "What...?" Yusuke and the others were leaning over him.  
  
Yusuke let out a releived sigh. "Your okay...you've been gone...for hours...Oh God Kuwabara!" Yusuke's eyes watered over, and he dropped down next to him.  
  
"Your feet..." Kurama reached down to help him, but Kuwabara pulled away. "Please...don't touch me..."  
  
"Kuwabara-"  
  
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"  
  
The three jumped, and crying he looked up in their faces. He looked at Yusuke's face, his eyes still red from crying, and blood dripping from his face. Kuwabara remembered the blood splashing on his face, and how Yusuke had tired to save him.  
  
The tears dripped faster down his own face.   
  
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry!"   
  
Yusuke scooted over beside him, and hugged him tightly.   
  
Kurama changed the bandages on his feet, and Hiei looked at Kuwabara. "You are depressed." He stated.  
  
"He should be...I just showed him what you all thought of him!" Kira giggled and then immediately, what Kuwabara heard, was played into the room.   
  
The group paled, and looked at Kuwabara.  
  
"Oh God...No...I didn't mean that-" Yusuke's voice trembled.  
  
"You did...but...its okay." Kuwabara laughed wiping his tears away. "We all have times when we hate each other. And even I hate myself. "  
  
Kurama put his hand over his eyes, and began crying too. He could feel the very depth of Kuwabara's depression.   
  
It was a suicidal depression.  
  
Hiei turned away, for the first time, he felt regret for something he'd done.  
  
Could this group really hold on to their sanity?  
  
"The team's gonna fall apart." Yusuke whispered filled with shame.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yes...the next test...bun bun bun!! have fun with this test...don't kill me. 


	10. Kurama And The Noose

Kira smiled as the group hung their heads low. Her master had such good plans at breaking people down.  
  
"Humans are fragile...Hee...Kuwabara has proved that."  
  
Kuwabara flinched but did not bother to look up. He was broken.  
  
"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HIM!"  
  
The group jumped and starred at Hiei. His eyes were filled with, rage and black energy poured around him.  
  
"I AM TIRED, OF YOUR BULL SHI*! SO KEEP YOU GOD DAM*ED MOUTH, SHUT! WE ARE ALL TRYING OUR BEST, AND WITH YOUR PETTY ANGER TOWARDS KUWABARA, YOUR PISSING ME OFF! SO SATIN'S SPAWN, LET ME SEND YOU BACK TO YOUR VILE HOLE!!"  
  
Hiei jumped and punched at Kira's shield. He was overtaken with the helpless feeling surrounding him. Him. Hiei, who'd done everything on his own,now...now was losing his grip. And everything was falling apart.  
  
How could he let this happen?  
  
Kira screamed as the shield cracked, and she began to snap her fingers like crazy.  
  
Hiei gritted his teeth as electricity ran through him, over and over, until finally, he fell to the ground, smoke rising from his body.  
  
Blood dripped out of the small warriors mouth, and Kurama took him in his arms.  
  
"We have to..." He was murmuring.  
  
"We know Hiei." Yusuke reached over and grabbed Hiei's shoulder. "Don't worry...she won't break us apart...try to stay calm."  
  
The group looked at Hiei. They had never seen him act so.  
  
"Ugh...I want Kira's heart in my hand." Hiei growled spitting up blood.  
  
"As long as I get her head." Yusuke growled. Kuwabara offered a piece of his shirt to Kurama to wipe the blood from Hiei's face.  
  
Kuwabara did not look angry about what he heard from his test, or surprised, or upset. He looked calm as if he knew all along.  
  
That was worse.  
  
Hiei grunted and Kira snapped her fingers again. He did not scream, but gritted his teeth tighter.  
  
"STOP! I BELIEVE MY TEST IS NOW!" Kurama growled holding his best friend as bolts of energy went though his little body.  
  
Kira stopped and Hiei lay limp.  
  
"Your right."  
  
She pointed her hand at Kurama and he was lifted off the ground and thrown into a chair. The chair melted, and turned black, swallowing Kurama.  
  
"His test should be fun." Kira giggled before disappearing.  
  
*********  
  
Kurama opened his eyes to find him self in a forest.  
  
The air was sweet with nature's fragrances.  
  
"Hello Kurama."  
  
Kurama turned to see Kira.  
  
"Your scent ruins the wonderful smells here." She smiled as his comment, and motioned for him to follow her.  
  
"Remember how I said if images of your friend die here, they will die in real life?"  
  
Kurama nodded, and Kira continued." Well, your next test, is to save a surprise guest and Yusuke."  
  
"What is with the tests and saving my friends?"  
  
Kira giggled.  
  
"So you caught on."  
  
"Each test tests you all. Yusuke's test are about his ability to tell reality and fantasy apart. Kuwabara's is mostly just to see what pains he will goto, to help others. Hiei's tests are on what he's willing to sacrifice. Yours, Kurama, are about your quick wit...to see how quick it really is."  
  
Kira looked at him. "But mostly all of your tests are here to hurt and weaken you." She turned away. "You have all caused too much trouble for the Demon world.  
  
Kurama pursed his lips. His anger was flaring, but he tried to contain himself.  
  
His emotions and nerves were being stretched to the breaking point.  
  
"Here we are."  
  
Kurama stopped and looked into a clearing.  
  
"MOTHER!" Kurama gasped.  
  
His Mom was hanging over a deep pit, while Yusuke had a noose around his neck and stood on a breaking branch.  
  
"They will both fall....now!" Kira smiled evilly, the scenario snapping into action, not giving Kurama any chance to fully have a full blow plan.  
  
But...  
  
Kurama acted on instinct, and ran to his mother, as soon as he took a step Yusuke's branch broke, and the image of him, looking calm, began to plummet. Kurama pulled out his rose whip and tossed it praying it would fine Yusuke, why'll he concentrated on catching his mother.  
  
She fell in his arms and his whip wrapped against something and Kurama pulled hard, until he heard too snaps.  
  
One of the rope snapping, and one of his arm being dislocated.  
  
He howled in pain and fell to the ground, the image of his mother disappearing.  
  
"Oh my." Kira began to laugh.  
  
"CLEVER! But not clever enough! You snapped his neck! Yusuke is dead, he is dead!"  
  
Kurama launched himself up, and began to sob when he saw bone sticking out of Yusuke's neck.  
  
"NOOO! NO! YUSUKE! YUSUKE!" He sobbed hitting the ground, and then screamed with more pain, from further injuring his arm.  
  
Kira watched as Kurama began to continue to damage his arm by striking the trees and things around him in agony.  
  
"You can stop being a baby!" Kurama glared at her, tears streaming out his eyes.  
  
"He's alive...you broke his collar bone! I lied." Kira began to laugh at her cruel prank, and sobbing Kurama fell on the forest floor, out of relief and exhaustion.  
  
He was getting sloppy, another mistake like that and he'd fail his tests...and they'd die.  
  
"no...no..." Kurama whispered crying and digging his hand in the dirt.  
  
Kira smiled, "This test was very short...but the next test will be your hardest...I guess that's probably why..." Kira shrugged and waved her arm.  
  
The background disappeared, and Kurama was sobbing on the lobby floor. "Kurama!" Hiei was over by him, hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Hey man you okay?" Yusuke asked crawling too him.   
  
"Yus...YUSUKE! I DIDN'T KILL YOU! YOUR ALIVE!" Kurama threw himself at Yusuke, hugging him, and crying with relief.  
  
"God...Your arm!" Kuwabara cried looking at the ugly, bruised, broken, arm.  
  
Hiei starred at it as well, and while Kurama wasn't looking shoved it back into place. Kurama howled, and whimpered with pain, collapsing on the floor, breathing hard.  
  
Hiei pat Kurama's head wiping the sweat off his brow. Yusuke watched Kurama worriedly, feeling his chest tighten.  
  
Kuwabara hung back. He didn't dare get close. Something made him afraid. He was afraid he'd screw up and they would hate him even more. They would-  
  
He shook his head.  
  
That was Kira's annoying little voice running around in his head...  
  
Kira wasn't going to win!   
  
He crawled over and took Kurama's hands. "Its all right man...everything's gonna be okay.  
  
"Hiei." Kira giggled.  
  
Hiei turned his glare at the child demoness. He had hated demons before...but never so much as this little girl.  
  
"Its your turn..." She smiled and faded away. And as she faded away, everything else did. It all faded until he was in darkness.  
  
Total darkness.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
God...I mean...I REALLY HATE KIRA....-_-....I know I made her up and all but...geez...I want to kill her....okay....Hiei's test hmm...time for: random-and-crude-hints-that-hint-at-something-horrendous-and-sad-and-freak-you-out-and-is-actually-worse-or-maybe-not-that-bad-but-always-leave-you-hanging-and-you-feel-ready-to-implode-until-you-figure-it-all-out. FIVE WORDS.: Lost Limb. Blood Loss. Ow. 


	11. Veins

Hiei's eyes snapped open and he almost cried out at what he saw. Sewn into the walls were the only people he'd ever cared for, and that had cared for him.  
  
Yusuke was missing most of his clothes and sewed into a living, flesh like wall. Blood smeared all over him, his body twisted in all the wrong ways. Hid hair fell over his black brown eyes.  
  
Next to him was Kuwabara. He was completely covered in giant veins, that were growing out of the wall. Smaller vein's coming off the wall were deep in his skin. Blood dripping on the floor.  
  
Kurama was halfway in the wall, his head slumped into his naked chest. His red hair had been shorn off, and only several clumps, of his once beautiful mane remained. Though he saw no injury, blood leaked off his body the worst.  
  
"No..."  
  
"Four Years ago you would have been smiling at my handiwork." Kira sighed sounding dejected.  
  
"Now your test is that you must free your friends. See the black hole on the ceiling? " Hiei looked up and indeed, there was a black hole on the ceiling. The swirling vortex of Hell.   
  
Kira smiled and continued, "It needs blood to release your friends. It needs a flesh sacrifice...Oh let me just say it. If you want to save them you must throw yourself into the hole. You'll die if you do this, but if you don't they'll die."  
  
Hiei stood numbly.  
  
For Hiei could do nothing. No brilliant plan, no calm angry smile, no flash of his gorgeous red orbs.   
  
"You have 30 minutes before Kurama over there is sucked into the wall and gone forever. Then Kuwabara, and then Yusuke. Either way you lose." Kira flickered away, and Hiei collapsed on the ground.  
  
He smiled ruefully, "That little bi*ch." He laughed angrily and slammed his fist down in the ground again and again, howling with frustration. When he stopped, two tear gems lay on the ground.  
  
Hiei took in shuddering breaths and looked at the forms of his friends.   
  
"They're not real!" He gasped remembering that these were just clever illusions.  
  
He relaxed and went over to Kurama. "These things aren't really suffering, they aren't my friends!" He touched Kurama's head, and a slow dull moan came from out of it.  
  
Hiei stepped away bumping into Kuwabara, who gave a cry of pain.  
  
He jumped again, poking Yusuke, who made a whimpering sound. He stepped away from his friends, and he starred at them. "No." He whispered his breath ragged, his heart pounding inside his sturdy ribcage.  
  
This was just a little *too* clever for an illusion.  
  
He sat again, and found his sword under his hand. How'd that get there?  
  
He laughed when he realized Kira must have given it too him so he could kill himself.  
  
Yeah right.   
  
Hiei...the forbidden child!?  
  
Puh-lease.  
  
"I did not just thing that word...that 14 year old, gum chewing, valley girl word!" Hiei banged his head in frustration. This place was *really* getting to him.  
  
"A flesh sacrifice...."  
  
Hiei's head shot up.  
  
He smiled.  
  
"I found a loophole..."  
  
He rose, and unsheathed his sword.   
  
He starred at the shining silky blade, and placed it on the shoulder of his bandaged arm.  
  
He starred at the form of his best friend with his hair shaven off.  
  
SWIPE!  
  
Blood splattered his face, and his eyes widened with intense pain. He held his arm in his hand, and threw it into the vortex.  
  
It closed and the scene disappeared.  
  
Hiei looked at his shoulder, where a limb should be and fell to the ground. His skin pale, and blood soaking him too the bone. He felt sick.  
  
But a true blissful smile appeared in his face.  
  
He saved them.  
  
He passed his test.  
  
Kira appeared in front of him. He turned away from her and starred at his tear gems he'd shed minutes ago. He'd rather look at those, than have Kira be the last thing he saw.   
  
He closed his eyes smiling with content.  
  
"You passed your test."  
  
"HIEI!"   
  
Hiei's eyes opened at the sound of Kurama's voice. Soaking with blood he looked at his pale comrades. Kuwabara turned away looking sick. Yusuke starred at his bloody body. Only Kurama looked him in the eyes.  
  
"Hie...Hiei...what happened?"  
  
He used his arms to push himself-wait! ARMS!?  
  
He looked down to see his arm was back.  
  
"You'll need that arm Hiei, trust me. Consider it a present." Kira giggled. Hiei would have gladly cursed the child to Hell, but instead collapsed as his body moaned with pain.  
  
He really had lost too much blood.  
  
"Oh Hiei!" Kurama held him, blood staining his clothes. "I'll recover within the hour we are given to rest." Hiei said softly, a small smile on his face.  
  
Yusuke came to sit by him, and smiled wearily. "We all passed..."  
  
Kuwabara, who did not dare upset his feet, crawled over too him, though his burned feet bled anyway. "Hey...you look like hell."  
  
"I look better than your face." Hiei snapped, but blinked in surprise to see Kuwabara smiling with relief. "Good...I'd be worried if you didn't snap at me."  
  
He closed his eyes, a sloppy goofy grin on his face. While his eyes were closed Hiei smiled back, but when they opened a scowl was what Kuwabara saw.  
  
"I have an announcement!" Kira said flying in circles over them.  
  
"I want us to go ahead and pick who goes first and who goes last in our little game!"   
  
Yusuke glared at her, and four screens popped up.  
  
Fire was written in one, Wind in another, Earth in another, and Water in the last.  
  
"Fire." Yusuke stated.  
  
"Wind."Hiei grunted.  
  
"Earth." Kurama mumbled.  
  
"Water." Kuwabara sighed.  
  
"How interesting." Kira giggled.  
  
"What?" Yusuke snapped eyes a blaze.  
  
"You chose the elements we'd predict you'd all choose."Kira laughed. "The elements you all are..."  
  
Her eyes flashed, "Yusuke, your fire spreads at an instant, burning and causing much destruction, yet in the end...making it so more beautiful things can grow and live."  
  
Yusuke hmphed and looked away.  
  
"Hiei, quick and fast, spreading like a blur, You can't see him but you feel him! so you know he's there, you know hes real. Calm and cool at first, a tornado the next!"  
  
Hiei had closed his eyes, but frowned angrily.  
  
"Kurama, earth grows and changes. Can be a kind valley, or a cold merciless desert. Mood varies just like the seasons."  
  
Kurama was paying no attention to her, but wiping blood from Hiei's face.  
  
"And Last, *and* certainly least, (Everyone glared at her for that comment) Kuwabara." She smiled at him holding his gaze, "Strong yet weak, solid but unsolid. Water has many forms. Like you it changes. A foolish young teen, or a capable warrior."  
  
Kira smiled, her dislike for him showing, "But like the water in the human world, your polluted by your human life, and will soon be so poisoned, you'll be useless, and impure. You'll die.  
  
"And a raging fire can always be put out." A glance at Yusuke. "The wind is shuddered out of existence in space." A smirk at Hiei. "And too many wars, kill the Earth." A cruel laugh at Kurama.  
  
"The last one...The very last test...will kill you all." She smiled and flickered away.   
  
" The order is thus: Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama and then Yusuke. You have one hour to say your good-byes. Have fun."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bun bun bun! Our story is getting closer to the clima and the close. These next few chapters are the worst....Kuwabara's chapter is very bad. Read my warning. If I get a flame, cuz you skipped my warning, I'll humiliate you in my story. Here let me give you a big notice, KUWABARA'S CHAPTER IS SERIOUSLY MESSED UP! READ WITH CAUTION! 


	12. Pained Filled Stories

oops... I fogot about this chapter...^_^() The Kuwabara tortue stuff is the next fic....hahahahaha...now you'll have to wait for the real climax...don't kill me...  
  
~Kazima  
  
"What a little bit*h."  
  
The others glanced over at Kuwabara who had pushed himself in a chair. He was in the corner and leaned against the wall, his feet in the next chair.  
  
"I've never touched a woman before in my life, but that thing....oh she's pushing it."  
  
"Kuwabara we give you permission to hit her." Yusuke said smiling. "We won't tell anyone."  
  
"You'd still be the most honorable human I know." Kurama said cradling Hiei.  
  
Kuwabara smiled, but frowned. "Does anyone else beside me want to tell what happened in their tests? Mine...are really bothering me."   
  
Hiei glanced at him. "I think it would be best to share these pitiful tests."  
  
"Yeah this way we can skip out on therapy." Yusuke joked, and then added, "I'll go first."  
  
"My first test I woke up and I thought all this had been a dream. Kira wasn't there and we were at the picnic spot. I was laying down with Kuwabara over me-"  
  
"Ew."  
  
"NOT THAT WAY!" Yusuke snapped smacking a chuckling Kuwabara's leg.  
  
"Well, he was looking down at me saying he dunked me under the water. So I started a play fight, and we got up. We were laughing and stuff and the next thing I know, I punched Kuwabara, you know like I always do."  
  
"Hmm." Hiei nodded sounding as if he was recalling a fond memory. Kuwabara glared at him.  
  
Yusuke swallowed. "He fell down and when I looked at him, I saw that his neck was broken I killed him...I killed my best friend!" Kuwabara reached over and squeezed Yusuke's shoulder.  
  
Yusuke smiled, glad to feel his friends presence.  
  
"I was freaked out and I was panicking. I didn't mean to do it. Kurama and Hiei were weird out and I somehow accidentally killed Kurama, and Hiei began to yell at me. You were screaming as if I was a monster." Yusuke said remembering, "And then I'd ripped off Hiei's arm."   
  
"Then I noticed Hiei's bandages were on the wrong side, and I said that this wasn't real and passed my test. My tests have always been about me being able to tell if what I saw was real or not."  
  
Yusuke shook his head.  
  
"It all seemed so real to me."  
  
"Urameshi..." Kuwabara said gently remembering how Yusuke had cried, and seemed afraid of Kuwabara when he came back.  
  
"My next test was about my Mom. I was in an asylum, and my Mom was there. She was insane...She'd lost it because I wasn't aging. Because of the demon blood in me, I hadn't aged one bit. And...she was ranting and raving about that. She thought she'd done something wrong."  
  
He rubbed his watering eyes. "And...And I answered that that was real. I was correct of course...but as soon as I get to see my Mom...I'm telling her. I'm telling her everything. I don't want to see her like that again."   
  
Yusuke pressed his palms into his eyes. "Never again."  
  
There was silence and then Kurama began, "My tests were mostly about all of you." He smiled sadly.  
  
The first ones you all were standing on plaques, and from one reason or another you couldn't move. You were unable to escape-"  
  
"Not possible." Hiei scoffed.  
  
Kurama smiled shaking his head, "And below you were spikes that would kill you. I was given a twig to save you with. Kira didn't know about me being able to manipulate plants, and so I made the twig grow and destroyed the spikes."  
  
His eyes glistened with sadness, "But...all of you were horribly injured, Kuwabara had lost both his hands."  
  
"Well Fu*k." Kuwabara said wincing.  
  
"Yusuke had his shoulder dislocated-"  
  
"That's not too bad!" Yusuke said smugly.  
  
"And your foot was twisted all away around and the bone was sticking out his leg."  
  
"I take that back..."  
  
Kurama smiled, he felt lighter sharing what happened to him. "And Hiei had managed to get a spike through his hip, blood everywhere."  
  
Hiei shrugged, he couldn't care less.  
  
"The next test was about my mother and Yusuke. I had to save them both at the same time...I took a risk, and almost killed Yusuke." Kurama laughed to cover a sob. "I am such a moron..."   
  
"Yeah right!" Yusuke said waiving his hand. "I'm still alive. Don't worry about it Kurama...I would have been brought back by Koenma any way...little as* wipe...he won't let me die."  
  
The group had a good laugh about this.  
  
"Mine were simple." Hiei said casually.  
  
"Not the first one! That was fixed!" Kuwabara pointed out proudly.  
  
"What was it about?" Kurama asked.  
  
"His sister and me." Kuwabara answered, Hiei was about to yell at him but blinked. "Ho...HOW'D YOU KNOW WHO SHE WAS?!"   
  
Kurama, and Yusuke were starring at Kuwabara they wanted to know that answer too. "Well..I do have a 6th sense....I can kinda tell..."  
  
The group sweatdropped, "And you keep on flirting with Yukina knowing that Hiei's her brother!?"  
  
Kuwabara shrugged, "Hiei's a punk, but if Yukina loves me, like I do her, he wouldn't stop her." Kuwabara smiled. "Your nicer than you act." Hiei snorted.  
  
"Nice my as*"  
  
He sighed," Yes, it was about Yukina and Kuwabara. Yukina was behind these three walls. One wall would kill her if knocked down, the other wall would destroy my soul. And the the 3rd was, a chained and severely beaten, dying Kuwabara. I wasn't allowed to kill in this test."  
  
Hiei's eyes flickered, "At my feet were Yusuke's and Kurama's heads."  
  
Yusuke scrunched up his face. Kurama shivered a bit.  
  
"Then as you know the idiot blew up the fake Kuwabara's heart, helped me and got his as* in trouble."  
  
Kuwabara grumbled to himself.  
  
"My 2nd task was easier. You three were all sewn into these living walls. All minutes away from death."  
  
"Oh that's disgusting!" Yusuke said covering his mouth.  
  
Hiei ignored the comment and continued," There was a black hole on the ceiling and to save you had to toss in a flesh offering, basically myself. But Kira said once again, no killing. So I cut off my arm and gave the vortex that."  
  
The others mouths were agape. "HOW'D YOU GET IT BACK!?" Kuwabara asked trying to scoot away. "Kira gave it back...but not before I lost all this blood." Hiei said addressing his attire.  
  
After a long period of silence, Yusuke nudged Kuwabara.   
  
"You already heard what happened to me..." He said uncomfortably.  
  
"Not all of it." Kurama said easily, not wishing Kuwabara to force himself.  
  
The human, like Hiei, had lost a lot of blood and was still losing it. The group encouraged him to talk, All fearing he would stop...in more ways than one.  
  
Kuwabara sighed and began his tale.  
  
"Well I pissed Kira off, and my test was to walk over a pit of fire, without shoes or socks, to rescue you guys. The pit was fire, hot coals, and liquid steel." Kuwabara shuddered uncontrollably, and closed his eyes.  
  
Yusuke took his friends hand, urging him to go on.  
  
"Well...I had to do it to save you guys so I of course agreed. Well, Kira then told me my punishment. The pain would be increased, so much that instead of just enveloping my feet, it went all over my body. By the time I had untied you all, I was nothing but cooked flesh."  
  
The others looked at him, watching as his eyes filled with tears. " My hair...my toes...my fingers...all gone. My skin...just black charred up flesh, and the liquid steel had melted parts of me. My brow had sunken into my eyes, I had no nose, or lips...barley..." Kuwabara was shaking, and Yusuke, who had an enraged look in his eyes, squeezed his hand.  
  
Kuwabara sighed and muttered something about wondering why this was so hard.  
  
"Well...I fell down crying in pain, and screaming. Kira came up and with her hand...rubbed all my skin off...it was the worse pain...I've...ever felt. I don't want to do that again." Kuwabara tried to laugh, but it came out sounding like a raspy cough.  
  
"My 2nd test, was you guys telling the truth about me. Easy. I'm so used to hearing all that now."  
  
"You shouldn't be used to it...I admit...I wasn't too sure about you when we first met...but you are a great, and gentle soul." Kurama said beaming at him sympathetically.  
  
Kuwabara smiled.  
  
"Hey guys...let me tell you...these past few years...I've enjoyed being with you all very much...and if we die, lets try to die in style!" Yusuke said smiling.  
  
"We don't have any shades to die in style with, Urameshi!" Kuwabara teased.  
  
"We're not dying here today. We're going to die old bas*ards." Hiei snorted.  
  
"Yeah and we'll all be together!" yusuke laughed.  
  
While he was laughing, Kuwabara looked away, and Kurama and Hiei glanced at each other. Yusuke still did not know about Kuwabara's decision.  
  
For the rest of the hour they rested and talked about things they planned to do once out of there. All agreeing to get at least a week of therapy from someone from the spirit world.  
  
But mostly they spoke of happy times, and more times of happiness yet to come.  
  
And they all laughed harder when Kira came back filled with rage, to see their merriment.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	13. Branded

READ THIS!!~~  
  
This chapter has descriptions of bad things done to people.   
  
The next few chapters will most likely be the worst.   
  
Kuwabara's may be the worst, and Kurama's is terrible as well.   
  
But You will get some relief from this nasty crap, with Hiei and Yusuke.  
  
There is forced Yaoi in this chapter, but no rape.   
  
Just unwanted kisses and such.   
  
If you are offended skip this chapter, you will be able to understand the next few chapters without this one.  
  
I strongly encourage you read this, for It may be a smidgen difficult to completely get the next few chapters.   
  
But if you can't bring yourself to read this (this chapter freaks me out too....) then just know, during Kuwabara's test he was violated.  
  
PAM and JOY you should defiantly skip this chapter.  
  
~kazima~  
  
  
  
"Kuwabara." Kira looked at him.  
  
She didn't need to say anymore. Kuwabara rose to his feet, and the bloody bandages grew wet with fresh blood, once again.  
  
'He's going to lose his legs.' Hiei heard a voice pop in his head. Hiei made a fist, sadly, that voice...was true. After this...Kuwabara may never be able to walk again...  
  
He walked to meet her, leaving red footprints.  
  
She smiled, and a door appeared behind her. "You will not be dragged down by darkness, now you have all earned the right to face your deaths on your own."  
  
Kira's cool face hardened when Kuwabara began sniggering. "Geez...and they say my speeches are corny!" He was trying to lessen the tension in the room but, it just made it worse.  
  
Kira growled, and Kuwabara waved a trembling hand good-bye.  
  
As he stepped into the room he heard a telepathic call enter his head.   
  
"We'll be waiting for you."  
  
In surprise, Kuwabara looked over at the worn out Hiei.  
  
And that was the last thing he saw as Kira shut him in.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kuwabara blinked, he was on top of a roof on a very high building.  
  
In nothing but his boxers.  
  
He shuddered from the cold wind, and flushed with embarrassment.   
  
Kira smiled and she spoke with a sly smile, "I'm sure your wondering why your half nude."  
  
Kuwabara flushed, and glared.  
  
"Your friends are hanging down on the side of the building. You have only one way to reach them, and that is by your boxers."  
  
Kuwabara's whole body turned red.  
  
But the little girl wasn't finished.  
  
"In the nude, you most carry them to the other side of the building." Kira snapped her fingers, and a crowd of woman and men, Kuwabara had met in his life time, appeared. "While they watch...and do much more."  
  
Kuwabara shuddered, how could he do this...  
  
"Oh and your friends will be doing some unpleasant things to you as well." Kira flickered away, and for that he felt grateful.  
  
He did not want her to see him.   
  
He turned to look at the images of the familiar faces.  
  
Koenma, Boeton, Keiko, Yukina, Genkai, Shizuru...it just kept going. He knew every one there.  
  
He felt shameful tears prickle in his eyes, but his friends were more important than his pride. He turned from the crowd, and dropped his boxers.  
  
He ripped them and peeked over the building seeing his friend clinging to a window. He lowered the cloth and pulled them all up on by one. As soon as this task was done, Kuwabara hoped he could maybe salvage some of his honor, and pride, so he tried to see if he could wrap the shredded cloth around his exposed private.  
  
But Kira's cruel, heartless laughter twisted with the wind, and Kuwabara's boxers were gone. He couldn't help it, tears spilled down his face, but he swallowed his pride.  
  
In an instant, he lost his honor, and knew he'd break his code, by killing a girl.  
  
He picked Hiei up first and pushed through the crowd. His friends, the people he knew scratched him, and burning cigarettes were pressed to his pale skin. Rocks bashed at his body, and Kuwabara wondered which was worse. The fire, or this.  
  
Then, he felt Hiei bite his neck, drawing blood. He gasped in pain, and met Hiei's eyes. Those red orbs were starring at him, in a way prey stares at meat. He smiled then, and his tongue licked the wound.  
  
It was then, Kuwabara knew, he would lose his sanity in this test.  
  
Hiei's hands roamed and touched Kuwabara in places one does not touch, unless married. And Hiei played with the wound on his neck, sucking out the blood, and for a minute Kuwabara was afraid Hiei would consume all his blood.  
  
But he wouldn't be that fortunate.  
  
Kuwabara sobbed as he felt Hiei whispered, "Don't deny me." Hiei bit again, at his collar bone, and sucked, stealing more blood. And finally Kuwabara placed Hiei on the other side. Once he was set down, the Hiei image disappeared like dust.  
  
Kuwabara walked back the path he came, following his red stains of blood from his burned feet. Sharp pains cut his body, and Kuwabara wondered if this test would kill him.  
  
He laughed bitterly, no this would only cause enough pain so that he felt pain outside, and inside.  
  
He picked up Kurama next, and headed back. Kurama groped at him, and he bit into his shoulder, chewing the meat. Kuwabara crying hard, looked down at him eyes filled with betrayal. Kurama licked the blood off his lips and stroked Kuwabara's chin, and kissed it.  
  
Kuwabara stifled a whimper, and a cry, and continued walking. He screamed as a hot metal was placed on his skin. Branded On his stomach was the word 'Kira', which would not fade for several months.  
  
Kurama licked his shoulder, where he had a chunk of his shoulder missing. Kurama followed the trail of blood with his tongue. Kuwabara sped up a bit, and Kurama's hands moved faster. Finally, Kuwabara set the false Kurama down, and like Hiei, he faded. Kuwabara walked back on his slick bloody path.  
  
His feet had lost all feeling. And so had his body. He felt no outwards pain. How could he win, if it was all focused on the inside?  
  
Kuwabara halted starring at the image of his best friend, allowing the evil crowd to harm him. The image of his sister burned her cigarette under his ear, and Kuwabara stepped forward.  
  
He picked up his best friend, and the fake Yusuke smiled, and Kuwabara let out a most bitter sob.  
  
He walked, feeling without a soul, as Yusuke touched him. Yusuke's eyes starring dead on at Kuwabara's face. Yusuke leaned up and kissed the tears away from Kuwabara's eyes, and Kuwabara whimpered.  
  
"Please no...don't do this to me...Please Urameshi."  
  
Yusuke smiled, and kissed the trails of tears.  
  
When Kuwabara got to the end of the building, Yusuke grabbed his face, and kissed him with a fierce wickedness. His tongue raping Kuwabara's virgin mouth. Kuwabara pried him off him, and sobbed, choking for air. Yusuke faded, and so did the crowd.  
  
Kuwabara sat down, blood from his wounds surrounding him. Only his bruises, and battered body to console him. He sat hugging his knees to his chest, and closed his eyes.  
  
"KUWABARA!"  
  
The exhausted red head looked up into his friend's horrified faces. They came near him, and Kuwabara, forgetting he was nude, crawled away from them, and like a frightened animal pressed himself to the wall.   
  
His eyes were wide and afraid, a mad look on his face. He was paler than normal, from blood loss and fear.  
  
"No...ahh...GET AWAY!" Those were the only words that could be understood. The rest of his speech sounded like something dying, choking for life. Kuwabara's wide dilated eyes seemed nothing but white marbles, and tears ran rivers down his cheeks.  
  
Hiei had regained back his color from his bloody experience in the last test, and now lost it once again, shocked to see Kuwabara react this way.  
  
Yusuke starred at his nude friend. His eyes seeing the branded 'Kira' on his chest. "Kuwabara..."  
  
"DON'T COME NEAR ME!" Kuwabara screamed, his voice inhuman.  
  
"DON'T YOU TOUCH ME ANYMORE! NO MORE! DON'T STROKE ME! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Kuwabara howled inhumanly. He pressed him self in the corner, his hand pressing so hard into the wall, he split his skin open, and bloody raindrops slid down the white wall.  
  
All three paled at what he said.   
  
"Kuwabara...did we hurt you...in your test..." Kurama asked shaking.  
  
Kuwabara responded with a whimper, "Please...don't hurt me...don't touch me."  
  
Hiei spotted the red swollen hickeys on his neck, and realized what Kuwabara's test must have been. Kurama and Yusuke noticed as well, and tears spilled from their eyes.   
  
Kurama fell sobbing, and choking out apologies.  
  
Hiei let two tears fall from his face, and he punched the glass mirror, shattering it, and cutting his skin.  
  
Yusuke turned away, and wretched behind the desk.  
  
Kira appeared, and placed sweat pants by Kuwabara smiling, and without a word floated out the door, and tossed over her shoulder, "Hiei, it is your turn."  
  
The door appeared again but Hiei did not go to it.  
  
He starred at Kuwabara who'd pressed him self to the corner, crying so hard, you could not make out his eyes.  
  
He jumped when Yusuke stood and grabbed Kuwabara's wrist. Kuwabara screamed with all his might, a howl that you would here in the depths of Hell. In the worst part of it, Satin's inferno.   
  
Kuwabara punched Yusuke, and even sliced open his skin, with frantic power. He was wriggling and crying so hard he choked. He even lashed out biting the hand that held his wrist.  
  
So now the corner was becoming red from both their wounds, and blood slid on the tile, forming a puddle, and trickling towards the two demons. Kurama scurried away, but Hiei stood.  
  
Kuwabara's blood washed his boots, Hiei had wondered what it'd be like to kill him. Have his boots stained with Kuwabara's blood. And now that he knew, He knew, he didn't like it. More tear gems dripped off his face.  
  
'I can't even protect my self in this Hell hole...what makes me think a mere human will be able to stand up to this?'  
  
Yusuke allowed Kuwabara to strike him; his eyes on the blood flying all around him, all from Kuwabara's wounds, and let tears slide down his face, along with the blood slipping down his hands.  
  
"Kuwabara."  
  
Kuwabara continued his withering. The tears more frantic. The grunts, and roars of a wild animal more frantic. Hiei's eyes widened as he heard Kuwabara's frantic heartbeat from where he was standing. Kurama and him locked eyes, both equally pale.  
  
"KAZUMA!"  
  
The air grew tense, and breathing hard, Kuwabara looked up at Yusuke. Yusuke bent down, Kuwabara whimpering and sobbing all the while. Yusuke placed a tanned hand on his pale face. Kuwabara shuddered, and Yusuke gently stroked his cheek, hoping Kuwabara felt the comfort.  
  
He did, and looked at him still shaking.   
  
He had no light in his eyes. No soul.  
  
"I will never harm you in any way. I will *NEVER* touch you, whatever happened in there, it wasn't me. I care far too much, for me to hurt my dearest friend! You are like my brother Kuwabara...Maybe more...Please don't act this way...don't shut me out" Yusuke's words spilled out, he took a shuddering breath and yelled out,"DON'T SHUT ME OUT! LET ME HELP YOU!!" He shook Kuwabara, beseeching him.  
  
Kuwabara was no longer there, he was at home. Yusuke was on his couch, making joke about Keiko being fat, or Shizuru being a man secretly. The two laughed, and Yusuke stretched on the couch. He lay down and draped his arms around Kuwabara's shoulders and placed his head atop his.  
  
"Hey...Kuwabara."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"When...I die...thousands of years from now...Do you think...You'll be there?"  
  
"Yeah...even if I'm a ghost."  
  
"Who would have guessed...I'd be bestfriends with a punk like you..."  
  
Kuwabara's eyes returned to normal, and he fell into Yusuke's nap sobbing at his name. Not his last name, his real name. "YUSUKE!YUSUKE!YUSUKE!YUSUKE!"  
  
Kurama and Hiei did not dare approach Kuwabara, knowing that though Kuwabara let Yusuke touch him, their friend would not allow them near him, until he calmed. He in fact, may never let anyone near him again.  
  
Yusuke sobbed, rocking Kuwabara, his nose in his friend's hair. Both of their hair gell had faded away, and their hair fell across their faces. Yusuke's long and straite,yet graceful, and Kuwabara's in long curly wisps.  
  
Kuwabara clung tighter to Yusuke and sobbed out what happened too him, the horror of it all flooding the room. Yusuke crushed the warrior too him, trying to fill his entire body up with Kuwabara, so as to comfort him. Finally Kuwabara fainted, but the tears, and pain remained.  
  
Two more tear gems hit the floor, and Hiei walked through the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I really hated writing this chapter...but it was the best way to cause a lot of mental/physical damage. And if anyone ever does something stupid like this, kissing people without permission, think, this chapter reflects how they feel. Like they're betrayed....Hey I had a moral. Okay. NEXT CHAPTER: Hiei's test, short and simple to calm you down from this nightmare chapter. But then, Kurama's chapter comes. Its the bloodiest chapter out of all of these chapters... In my own humble opinion...its friggin messed up and makes me wanna pee me self. 


	14. Death Seed

Hiei found himself outside.  
  
Everything was bright and clear, and the air was filled with smells he long forgotten.  
  
"Your test is fairy simple." Kira sighed sounding depressed. "Oh well...At least Kuwabara's was har-"  
  
Hiei turned glaring so hatefully at the girl, she shut up.  
  
"Caring for a Human?" She finally whispered. "Oh how the mighty have fallen."  
  
Hiei smiled.  
  
"I will kill you...we will all kill you."   
  
Kira starred at him, and pursed her lips.  
  
"Your test is this, Yukina and Kurama are both dying..they have the death seed in them, right next to their hearts, You will be able to get one of the seeds out, Only one. But you must choose wisely."  
  
Kira smiled, "To make the test a little harder, if the Yukina dies here, she will die for real."  
  
Hiei's heart almost stopped. "No..."  
  
Kira laughed, and jumped in a tree. "There is your test!"  
  
Hiei turned and saw Kurama and Yukina, on the ground, both breaths labored.  
  
"Hiei...save Yukin..Yukina." Kurama moaned, and suddenly broke out in a howl of pain. Yukina lay on the ground, twitching eyes wide open in a horrible pain.  
  
"YUKINA!" He cried rushing to her.  
  
He placed his hand on her head, and next to him Kurama moaned.  
  
Hiei placed a hand on his best friends chest.  
  
"Hiei...sa...save her...she....shes your si...sister." Kurama pleaded.  
  
In his head, Hiei knew the Kurama before him was only an image, but he seemed so real, He could feel his best friend's erotic heart beats. He was touching his cold, clammy skin. And his eyes were filled with tears, that Kurama wasn't even aware was there.  
  
"Kurama...Yukina..."  
  
"Hiei...." Yukina sobbed.  
  
She raised a weakened hand and pointed, "De..dead..."  
  
Hiei followed her hand to see where she was pointing and starred. His eyes were wide, and Hiei wished, wanted Kira would stop showing him things like this. For once, Hiei knew, if he saw any more of these images...he would not be able to keep his wits. His sanity.  
  
Leaning against a tree was Kuwabara. His eyes wide and glassy, his mouth open. From his chest a blood stained plant burst, and pinned him to the tree behind him. Flecks of blood stood out on his skin. His hair was ruffled spilling out of place. His broken neck hung on one of the long branches, ripping past his muscle and bones.  
  
But this did not make Hiei stare with his mouth open.  
  
It was his eyes. Oh his eyes...they were so...dead. Vacant, empty, completely lost of all light, of all life. Like a doll, that watched you, and sent chills down your spine, and though you knew they weren't alive, it felt as if they were watching you.  
  
Hiei in his lifetime had seen death upon death, but the way Kuwabara's eyes looked made him ache all over, and his blood freeze.  
  
"K...Ku...Ku...Kuwa...."  
  
Hiei's head sharply turned. A sobbing Yusuke was dragging himself towards Kuwabara. The plant was just now bursting from him. Yusuke's face was no longer that of lovely tanned skin, but ashy and gray. He was sobbing, just like that time at the dark tournament. When he thought Kuwabara died.  
  
Yusuke reached him, and clutched his hand, and starred at it, expecting a squeeze of assurance. Kuwabara's dead eyes remained locked with Hiei's live ones. Yusuke's sobs stopped and he moved so his head was resting on Kuwabara's lap. Hiei felt his heart almost stop. He'd seen Yusuke do this before.  
  
Another memory of the Dark Tournament.  
  
Right at Kuwabara's faked death, Yusuke had grown quiet, and his eyes were lazily half opened. His body seemed completely limp, and he spoke in such a sad way, Hiei had felt guilty for being part of such a cruel trick, even if it was to save the world. Those where the eyes with a man who was living, but was dead already.  
  
And that was how once again, Yusuke looked.  
  
Yusuke looked at Hiei, and another memory surfaced. His eyes looked just like the eyes of the time, Yusuke transformed into his demon self. Wild, angry and different, yet still them same at the same time. Hiei wasn't sure what, or why all these memories were resurfacing, and he wished they would just stop.   
  
Hiei turned away as the plant, coming out of his dark haired friend, wrapped itself, so that Yusuke and Kuwabara were intertwined together in their death.  
  
"Hiei...If you do not do something soon...Yukina, and Kurama will become just like those two. Intertwined by death and pain."   
  
Kira looked at Kuwabara and Yusuke, and quite seriously said, "The test for Kuwabara greatly affected his mind...but appears no matter what we had Yusuke's image do to him...He and Yusuke's friendship remained strong....if all of you live, all of your bonds would be much stronger, I'm sure."  
  
Kira turned smiling, "But...of course that's not going to happen...Hiei...would you like me to tell you what Kurama has to do...He has to become murderous once again..."  
  
"SHUT UP!" Hiei's power flared up.  
  
"I would like...to start my test."  
  
Kira smiled. "You have half an hour to think about what you should do, then you will have 5 minutes to remove the seeds. " She smiled. "Though...it takes 6 minutes to remove one...Make haste Hiei..."  
  
Hiei turned to the task at hand.   
  
His mind was a whirl, but nothing, no solution came to his head. He had started to get the seed out of Yukina immediately. But...what about Kurama? What could he do for him?!  
  
Hiei, all too soon found himself starting his test.  
  
"Tick Tock..." Whispered Kira's voice.  
  
Something propped up in Hiei's head, and he pulled out his sword, just as he got the seed out of Yukina, the time was ticking away.  
  
Only two seconds.  
  
He thrusted the sword down, in Kurama's chest, and screamed, "KURAAAAAMMMMMA!!"  
  
Their was silence and Kira floated down, eyes wide in surprise. "My..."  
  
Her eyes turned hard. Kurama was still breathing, Hiei barely missing his heart, and the seed was sliced in half.  
  
"You pass." Kira spat, feeling angrier at the thought, that the Rekai may succeed.  
  
Hiei panted, and placed a shaky hand on his head.  
  
Almost...almost too slow...  
  
"Hiei?" Kurama, the real one was back at his side, and Hiei was in the waiting room. Kuwabara, had placed on the pants, his feet were wrapped up, with some pieces from the pants. His eyes were dead, and he rested against Yusuke.  
  
Yusuke did not say a word, and in fact seemed frozen. Glaring at nothing. Yet, glaring at everything.  
  
Kuwabara looked as if he was not breathing.   
  
Hiei looked up at Kurama's face, and saw the pain and worry. Kurama had aged 10 years.  
  
"I don't think any type of therapy will save us..." Hiei muttered, and stood, raising himself up, and walking away. He paused by Kuwabara and Yusuke and whispered, "Yusuke...?"   
  
No response.  
  
He looked at Kuwabara, and already the human, was curled up into Yusuke's arms, crying and whimpering, "Please...no...NO!" Hiei felt his heart go out for the human. He tore himself away bending down and touching Yusuke's face.   
  
"Yusuke...what...I almost....let all of you down."   
  
Yusuke's glare was gone and he watched him, and Yusuke squeezed Hiei's shoulder, and then wrapped his arms fully around Kuwabara.   
  
"He became mute ever since you left. He stopped talking...and he's been...been non-responsive..." Kurama said, tears pouring down his face. This was getting far too emotional, nerves were breaking, and it looked as if sanity was lost.  
  
"We will all recover...I believe...that we all will recover...All of us..." Hiei looked around the room. "As long as we...try to live long enough...try to cope long enough with our lives. We are going to make it. We'll recover...we have to....we have to." Hiei hissed, his eyes darting about.  
  
Kurama looked at his trembling hands, and miserable eyes.  
  
They were all out of character.  
  
Kuwabara was a child. A child which had been beaten, and starved. His honor code, his very soul seemed lost.  
  
Hiei was showing fear, was showing pain. Kurama had often wondered if Hiei would ever get emotional, and for him to get emotional like this, wasn't what he'd wanted.  
  
He, himself, was confused, and haggard. His soul seemed ripped away from him. He felt nothing...nothing at all. Yet, he felt everything, and was trying so desperately to block it all out.  
  
Yusuke...Yusuke was empty. Kurama felt nothing in him. He was without emotion, without a soul. Yet he held them all up.   
  
He held the tortured child in his arm, he held the emotional demon, and Held him, who tried to make everything go away.  
  
But...what was holding Yusuke up?  
  
"Kurama..." Kira's voice echoed from the shadows. He turned. "I await you..." Kira's voice came from the darkness, inside the door.  
  
And Kurama walked out of the light.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	15. Train Spike

This chapter is pretty graphic too...so uh, watch out.  
  
I don't like this chapter, it has no forced Yaoi in it.   
  
Its got graphic gore, and stuff that's really gonna mess with our poor fox's head.....hahaha....some people are going to harm me huh?  
  
~Kazima~  
  
Kurama surprisingly found himself at Genkai's.  
  
"This...is where my test will take place?"He questioned the air, getting no reply.  
  
Kurama walked up the stairs, and halfway up he almost slipped.  
  
"What the-!?" He looked down, and saw blood pouring down a section of the stairs. Kurama moved to the other side, avoiding the fluid that ran through everyone's veins.  
  
Kurama looked up stairs and began to run. When he reached to top he found out what was leaking the blood.   
  
Yukina was laying on her belly, blood streaming from her neck. Her head rest atop her back, pale and disgusting. Her arms were twisted so her palms were up, and her skin was so white. So pale.  
  
Kurama took a step back.  
  
Yukina's eyed flashed over too him, dead and blank. "YOU WILL DIE!" She spat blood pouring out her mouth. Instinctively, Kurama pulled out his rose whip, and destroyed Yukina's head.  
  
He turned away, shaking with horror and fear.  
  
Oh God...what was his test?  
  
Something wet dropped onto his shoulder. He looked up with surprise and gagged. Strung by her entrails was Genkai. Her small intestine tied to the long tree branches.  
  
Her eyes looked down at Kurama, because her neck was completely twisted around. Besides her intestines, coming out was her kidneys somehow hanging there, one snapped off and landed on Kurama.  
  
He gave a shriek and threw it off him, padding his clothes. "No..no..."  
  
"I would have thought of all people...you would never be the one to kill me..." Genkai's dead lips spoke.  
  
He screamed again, and Rose whipped everything in front of him.  
  
By the time he was done he was panting and shaking. His shoulders heaving with his breaths. Kurama scratched at his skin, and clothing. Blood leaked into him, it seemed as if it was soaking into his skin. He headed for Genkai's home, and gasped at what he saw laying on the porch.  
  
Was?...was he-Yes! He was breathing!  
  
"KUWABARA!!"  
  
Kurama ran too him. But as soon as he got too him he screamed loudly, and his gut twisted up. His scream was no longer fear, but anger. He was a fox demon, and they do *not* let such things happen to the ones they care for!  
  
Kuwabara lay on the ground, taking in long shallow breaths. Blood pooled from under him. The porch was covered in it. You could no longer see the porch at all. It was just a thick mess of blood. Kuwabara had his eyes gouged out, and black, bloody holes stood out on his even paler skin. The black holes, seemed to be starring at the world. Taking it in with their soulless eyes.  
  
Sticking out of his chest was a fork, and it seemed as if the fork had been stabbed in him over and over...at least 200 times. Kurama collapsed next to his friend. Starring at the wounds, caused by a simple fork, with anger and sorrow.  
  
"Ku...Kurama..."  
  
"Kuwabara! Don't talk..." Kurama was shaking.  
  
Was he alive? Or was he dead, and talking too him, like the others.  
  
"Why....why'd you let her do this!?"  
  
Kurama starred wide eyes at his human friend. The holes in Kuwabara's face looked at him, as if he could see him without his eyes. He raised a tinted blue hand, "How coul...could you...I know...you loved her...but how could you watch...and let her...do..." Kuwabara gasped, and painfully sat up.  
  
It was then Kurama knew he was dead, but speaking too him, like Yukina and Genkai had.  
  
The eyeless man reached for him, his voice filled with anger, sadness, and betrayal. "HOW COULD YOU LET HER KILL US? WHY DID YOU REFUSE TO HELP US!?" Kurama shook pulling out his Rose whip.  
  
"I am so sorry..."  
  
He raised the whip and Kuwabara sighed, "Come to kill me again? Just like her..."   
  
Kurama closed his eyes, and cut off his head. It was only then he remembered what Kira had said about killing one of his friends.  
  
As if she heard him, he heard a voice enter his head, 'Don't worry Kurama...they are all already dead. My punishment about your friends dying if you kill their images, doesn't count...this time...'   
  
The words felt branded on his brain. He opened his eyes, and had to turn away.  
  
He'd seen many gory deaths, He had been after all, Youko Kurama...but this...  
  
It was very different when it was a friend he was seeing.  
  
He ran inside, and almost to the backdoor, he heard someone call his name.  
  
He turned around, to see a perfectly normal Yusuke. There was only one thing. He was crying. He stood there, his hand against the door frame and his eyes starring blankly at him. He was shaking and Kurama could not tell why. He took in a shuddering breath and whispered, "Kuwabara...he's dead?"   
  
Kurama starred, looking for wounds...but Yusuke was fully intact. White shirt, gray jacket, blue jeans, greased hair, tan skin.  
  
Finally Kurama nodded. "Kurama..." Yusuke spat bitterly. "You killed Kuwabara!"  
  
Kurama ran to Yusuke and wrapped his arms around him. "Yusuke someone is killing every-" He froze.  
  
His hand was resting against the back of Yusuke's head, and the other was on Yusuke's back. He pulled them both away, to see blood had coated his hands.  
  
Kurama backed away, looking from his hands, to Yusuke. Yusuke walked forward, and sharply turned around. The back of he head was missing, you could see his brain, and skull, where it had been jaggedly cut off.   
  
Not only that someone had cut through his back and his spine could be seen. Every time he breathed the showing bones, and organs moved as they were supposed to do. Kurama covered his mouth, looking ready to wretch.  
  
"Yusuke..."   
  
He turned around crying.  
  
"You...You brought her here!" He pointed an accusing finger at Kurama. "You brought her here...and she killed Yukina...then Genkai! We tried to stop her, but you just stood! You kept apologizing, but refused to stop her!"   
  
Yusuke was no longer crying tears, but now was crying blood. His hands were clenched tightly.  
  
"How...How dare you forsake us! I was beaten, and I watched helplessly as she Killed Kuwabara so slowly! You let him die!!"  
  
Yusuke's dead brown eyes looked at Kurama, "You let me die...She came at me with a saw...And I was so weakened, FROM YOU! YOU HELPED HER! BECAUSE IT WAS WHAT SHE WANTED! SHE CUT ME UP! LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" Yusuke roared, and Kurama pulled out his rose whip.  
  
"Look at you." Yusuke growled.  
  
"Look at all the blood on you..."  
  
Kurama looked at his skin, clothes, hands, and rose whip. His rose whip, which usually managed to stay clean was soaked with blood. It seemed stained, like when red whine falls on a white carpet, and it was apparent the blood would not leave the whip.  
  
He looked back at Yusuke with the blood streaming out his eyes. "How could you...How could you let her kill us this way?"  
  
Yusuke's angry look vanished, and was now replaced with a deep sadness. "Why did you let her kill us...aren't we...wasn't *I* your friend?"  
  
Kurama closed his eyes, and slashed Yusuke into bits. He let out a loud sigh, and fell to his knees, allowing angry, hurt tears to fall down his face. Kira was going to get it....  
  
"YAGGHH! BACK DOWN HUMAN WRETCH! "  
  
That was...  
  
"Hiei!!"  
  
Kurama ran outside and saw Hiei was crawling away from...  
  
"Mother?"  
  
His Mom wore all red, and she was approaching Hiei. She looked as if she was trying to help him, but Hiei was screaming and cursing at her. Kurama felt angry and then noticed....Hiei's legs were gone.  
  
Kurama, finally, Puked, emptying out everything in his stomach. He looked back as his mother grabbed Hiei, and then.  
  
Her face twisted...into this ugly horrible face, one which Kurama had never seen. She laughed, and raised her arm revealing a train spike...and...  
  
"MOTHER NO!!" Kurama cried rushing to her, and used his whip to pull the spike away. It was then, once he was close to her he knew that her outfit was red from blood.   
  
She smiled at him, and laughed inhumanly, "Thank you my son...You've helped me so much, in killing them..."  
  
Kurama collapsed and cradled the still screaming Hiei. You could see his knee caps, and the torn muscle of his legs. There was a hole in his hand, caused from the train spike. Blood poured out, and looked almost black it was so dark.  
  
His mother went on.  
  
"You distracted Yukina, so I could slit her throat..."  
  
Images flashed of Yukina smiling. She greeted Kurama, and would then hug him. She would go over to Kuwabara and the two would whisper things. The two would glance at Hiei and talk faster. Kurama would smile, knowing that they were trying to come up with an idea to get Hiei to tell Yukina they were siblings. Yukina would pull Yusuke over, and whispered in his ear, and he'd smile. Yukina would eventually turn to him, eyes glistening. "Kurama-kun," She would say, "Can you show me how you plant such lovely flowers?"  
  
"You acted injured, so I could get Genkai..."  
  
Genkai...and her harsh, twisted knowledge. Though sometimes causing great pain to ones body, it was always a way to help someone, to teach them. To help them learn a needed lesson that one can only learn through pain and conflict. "Hmm...I have to stick around...That idiot Yusuke wouldn't last 3 seconds on his own..." Genkai would snort, and smile at Kurama. She trusted him not to reveal how much she cared for Yusuke.  
  
"You held Kuwabara down, so I could stab him with the fork, and even removed his eyes for me..."  
  
Kuwabara, he wasn't the sharpest knife. He wasn't really what you'd call graceful. And sometimes he made you wonder, if he really was dumb, or just plain ignorant. But his heart, the purest human heart Kurama had ever seen, made up for all the flaws he may have. "Kurama...your really wise. I know I can never be as smart as you, or kind, " Kurama would always laugh, and disagree at that part, "But...I hope you feel glad to have me as I friend, Like I do for you..."  
  
"You even sat on Yusuke, as I finished stabbing Kuwabara in his body...oh how delightful you were, saying how Yusuke was too weak to help his best friend..."  
  
Yusuke...what an odd character. You think you have him figured out, when all of a sudden he changes on you. Like water. Calm at first, then the waves rise, and before you know it, a hurricane has brewed. Yusuke cared for all of them. When Kurama had passed out from his fight against Touya in the Dark Tournament, and was ruthlessly attacked, Yusuke had increased his power so greatly. It was that way with all of them. "Yo! Kurama! You got stalkers behind you!!" He'd laugh as another strange girl followed him home.  
  
"And then...you held Hiei down so I could remove his legs. Thank you..." His mother laughed inhumanly.  
  
Hiei...Hiei was his best friend...more...He was a cynical brother. Hiei watched over everyone in their own special way. Kurama had to be the closest too him. Had to be the one, Hiei cared for most out of the four. Kurama knew him...knew him so well. He knew Hiei's cynical encouragement to Yusuke was him saying, "You better not die...I'd be sad with you gone." He knew the cold banter he always threw at Kuwabara was reverse psychology. He was calling him foul names, being hateful to him, but in his twisted way, he wanted Kuwabara to get stronger, so that he wouldn't die...as humans seem to do, in even their earliest age.   
  
Kurama looked down at Hiei, who'd gone as pale as moonlight. A tear gem rolled down his face.   
  
"Genkai?"  
  
"Dead."  
  
Another tear gem.   
  
"Yusuke?"  
  
"Dead."  
  
Another tear gem.  
  
"The hu...Kuwabara?"  
  
"Dead."  
  
"Yu...Yukina?"  
  
"Dead."  
  
A horrible howl and a flood of gems. Kurama pressed Hiei to his chest, and let his small friend sob into his shirt.   
  
Kurama's Mom smiled, "Hold him there...I'll end it all..."  
  
Kurama roared, and attacked his mother. He beat her, clawed at her, ripped her too pieces. "YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER! YOU ARE NOT HER! KIRA YOU LITTLE BI*CH!! I'LL KILL YOU! YOU BI*CH! BI*CH!!"  
  
When Kurama stopped he lay in a mess of blood, guts, and bone. Nothing was recognizable.  
  
He crawled over to Hiei, looking at where his legs should be, and gently held him.   
  
"Kurama...." Hiei whispered as his eyes turned dim.  
  
"Dead..." Kurama sobbed and held Hiei too him.  
  
"My...I'm surprised...I didn't think you could kill your mother."   
  
Kurama sobbed harder, at Kira's cackling voice.  
  
"Kurama!!"  
  
Kurama looked up.  
  
The real Hiei was at his side, and Kurama, in relief and joy, flung himself at Hiei's side. "HIEI!HIEI!HIEI!HIEI!" He sobbed choking. He clung tight, and vowed, "I WON'T LET ANY OF YOU BE KILLED BY MY HANDS!"  
  
Hiei kneeled and grabbed the red head, his hand through his hair, and pressing the red head too his chest.  
  
Yusuke looked over and pulled Kuwabara closer, who was close to death. He was still losing blood. In small amounts now...but it had not stopped for more than fifteen minutes since his 1st test.  
  
Kuwabara's empty eyes, starred at Kurama and Hiei, and it was as if something snapped. He blinked and his eyes returned to a state of almost being normal.  
  
"Kurama...your covered in blood."  
  
Kurama looked down and indeed he was.  
  
He looked at Kuwabara and sobbed, "I AM SORRY! KUWABARA...I AM SO SORRY!!"  
  
Hiei helped him up and steered him near Yusuke and Kuwabara.  
  
Kuwabara was visibly shaking, but he timidly reached out, and touched Hiei's hand, and then Kurama's face. "We'll be fine." He wheezed, sounding as if he could not breathe. His chest was heaving greatly, and he looked as if he was starring death in the face.  
  
Then, he retracted his hand, and pressed him self to Yusuke....at least it was an improvement.  
  
"Yusuke...Your turn." Kira giggled popping up.  
  
Yusuke didn't give her a glance. He pulled Kuwabara off him, and held him by his shoulders. He starred in Kuwabara's eyes, and pressed his forehead to his. Telling him something with his eyes.   
  
Crying Kuwabara nodded, and Yusuke left through the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	16. Unchanged

Yusuke found him self in a dark, dark room.  
  
He starred off, waiting for the images that were already going to come. Soon enough he saw Kuwabara and himself. They were laughing, but no sound was heard. The two were happily talking, Kuwabara punching his chest, and grinning like a goof.  
  
Yusuke smiled and wept at this scene. He reached out as if trying to catch his stream of memories. But they flew away like wild butterflies. This scene would not partake in a long while after all this...that scene may never happen...if Kira won.  
  
The scene faded and Kuwabara no longer wore his hair up. It was curly, like it was now, and instead of short, it was in a ponytail. He had a white shirt and tie, he was talking to kids. Yusuke appeared, entering a door, unchanged. In fact, he could have been mistaken for one of the young teens surrounding Kuwabara.  
  
Yusuke laughed at this scene. A teacher? Is that what Kuwabara would be? It almost suited him. Who cared more for anybody than Kuwabara. Kids would need him. Especially in Jr. high through Highschool.  
  
The two immediately embraced, and talked, and laughed some more. Kuwabara made a sweeping motion, and Yusuke could only assume that his image was being introduced to the class. His image smiled and a few of the classmates asked questions. They pointed at Yusuke and looked at Kuwabara.  
  
The older Kuwabara, and the still looking young Yusuke laughed, and the two shook their heads. Kuwabara gave Yusuke a noogie and the image flapped his arms around.  
  
The scene faded and now Kuwabara's hair was short, Still curly, but turning gray. He was looking a bit old now. Yusuke was on his back, and Kuwabara was running with a foot ball over his head. The two fell laughing in a pile of leaves, and Kuwabara got up, doing an odd dance. He'd scored a touch down.  
  
Once again...Yusuke was unchanged.  
  
Yusuke fell on his knees. He was crying now. All his pent up emotions pouring out of him. The horror of the situation, the pain of it all. The sorrow riding on his back, pressing his shoulders down hard, trying to hurl his body in pain.  
  
And Yet, he cried because of the beauty of these images. Before this, Yusuke would have just shrugged, gotten flustered, and demanded to know why someone had some scenes of him and Kuwabara.  
  
Now...he would never mistreat his time with Kuwabara or anyone...never.  
  
The next scene was of Yusuke, he was talking with Kuwabara in his home. But...Kuwabara was barely recognizable. He was an old...old man. He had longish gray curls, and pale wrinkled skin. The old Kuwabara's eyes twinkled still with the stubbornness and pride. Weakly he lifted a cane, and smacked Yusuke on his head. The Yusuke image collapsed with fake pain...  
  
The real Yusuke cried, once again...the image was unchanged.  
  
The next scene was of the unchanged Yusuke, crying at a grave. ~Here lies Kazuma Kuwabara...  
  
"NOOOOOOOO!!" Yusuke roared, breaking out of his mute stupor causing Kira to jump. Yusuke began slamming his fists into the walls around him, and cursing. His knuckles pierced through the skin, and blood dripped all over the ground. He finally stopped moving and collapsed.   
  
"Kuwabara...."  
  
"So is this the-"  
  
"Its the future....I already knew...I knew Kuwabara would never change into a demon...no matter how close we were. He would never want to be something he's not." Yusuke spat angrily.  
  
He choked back a sob, and Kira frowned.  
  
"And I would never force him..." He muttered weakly.  
  
"You pass."  
  
Yusuke was back in the room, Kurama and Hiei starring at him with shock. How had he gotten here so soon. When Kurama saw the tears streaming angrily down his face, Kurama cried out remembering his task.  
  
Hiei looked back at him, taking his shoulder. The Fox demon trembled madly under his grip.  
  
Yusuke marched over to Kuwabara, and kneeled over him. Kuwabara squeezed his eyes up and began whimpering.   
  
"Yusuke...He just now started talking to us...don't-"  
  
"SHUT UP HIEI!"  
  
Hiei blinked with surprise. He uneasily watched Yusuke and Kuwabara. Kurama whimpered and Hiei shrugged. What ever Yusuke's problem was he had no time to worry about it, he had his own problem. He turned to the cowering red head, and tried to offer support. Not one of his strong suits.  
  
"KUWABARA HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME!" Kuwabara was crying even harder, and Yusuke had his shoulders. Both were sobbing, Kuwabara from fear and Yusuke from anger. "Ur...don...don't touch..."  
  
Yusuke grabbed Kuwabara, and held him tightly. Kuwabara began to whimper, and Yusuke spoke calmer though his eyes flooded with tears. "Kuwabara...I stick to what I said, I will never touch you in any way like what happened to you. Look I'm holding you...I'm not hurting you...why couldn't you tell me? " Yusuke gave out a bitter sob, slinking to the floor; holding Kuwabara tighter still. Kuwabara gave a violent shudder and went limp. His breathing evened and he whispered, "I...you look..."   
  
"You look like the creature that hurt me."  
  
The room went silent, and Hiei turned to look at Kuwabara, resting like he was dead in Yusuke's arms. Kurama stopped his shaking and rocking himself, to look at Kuwabara with wide bloodshot green eyes.  
  
Kuwabara sounded normal when he said that. Dead as could be, but normal. No inhuman cries, and no stuttering or sobbing.  
  
Yusuke stroked his hair, and then rubbed his hand though his own hair, now hanging damply from sweat, like Kuwabara's.   
  
"Why couldn't you tell me...that you weren't going to become a demon...weren't going to be able to stay with me."  
  
Kuwabara looked up, "I didn't...know how....How do I tell me best friend...that he's going to have to watch me die?"  
  
Yusuke looked into his best friend's eyes. He then looked into Hiei's who looked back. His mouth opened something as if seeing something for the first time. Yusuke looked at Kurama, Kurama sat up fully, hope in his eyes.   
  
The old Yusuke was resurfacing. They could see it in his eyes.  
  
Yusuke sobbed and held Kuwabara close, "Well we're all going to die now."  
  
"No Yusuke. How can you be so stupid?" Hiei looked at him, he knew what he'd seen welling Yusuke's eye was not his imagination. Kurama looked calmer, he'd seen it too. If Yusuke was coming back, then they all were going to be okay.  
  
"We're going to live."  
  
Yusuke went silent and held Kuwabara, starring off at the wall. He clung to Kuwabara, and circling through his head, was everything he and his friends had endured. Everything.  
  
He pulled Kuwabara closer, and whispered, "Di...did...I in your test...hurt you a...a lot?" Kuwabara went stiff and he gripped onto Yusuke's shirt tighter. Yusuke took the hand, and it relaxed.   
  
"Your still me best friend."   
  
Kuwabara looked up at Yusuke, "Don't...Don't forget that your still my best friend..." Yusuke was surprised to hear Kuwabara say this. Kuwabara relaxed on Yusuke tiredly, "Your all...still my friends...I'm just not whole right now..." Kuwabara gave a bitter laugh and everyone looked at him.   
  
Quite suddenly all four began to laugh.  
  
"None of us are 'whole' are we?" Kurama laughed, tears streaming down his face. The others shook their heads, laughing. At the moment, something about the fact, that they were never going to be the same again, seemed incredibly funny. Some times, to help you face you darkest of opponents, your darkest fears, you need to laugh at yourself. Laugh at your pain.  
  
Laugh at your death.   
  
Kira popped up and glared at them all.  
  
"You may all enter through the red door."  
  
It opened and she landed on the ground, and walked in.  
  
The group got up, and it was then they realized, Kuwabara had lost too much blood. He would not be able to stand on his own.  
  
Yusuke knelt down, "I'm going to carry you. I won't hurt you." Kuwabara's eyes were filled with fear, and Yusuke continued to cry as he remembered the grave of his friend. And now...his friend's eyes...they were soulless.   
  
Kuwabara calmed a bit and nodded. Yusuke placed him on his back, and walked with the others.   
  
Hiei had to help Kurama stand. He shook and clung to Hiei. His eyes were darting, and he muttered things quickly. They were quick, well though out, plans. Plans of escape.  
  
To see the red haired fox like this, was a sight worse than death. Hiei through his calm front, his cool show, was a scared demon. He was locked inside a cage and running around as cries filled the air. Hiei supported his friend, and tried to make sure he could stand.  
  
Through out this nightmare, he'd been trying to drag everyone on. Push them forward, and give them hope, something he never did often. He had lassoed chains around their waist's and slung the heavy metal on his shoulders and dragged their struggling limp forms. As he helped them to rise, he kept sinking, and sinking. He was drowning now, and as soon as they were all safe and sound, as soon as his friends were tucked away....  
  
Hiei would end his life.  
  
It was all planned out in his head. Since he saw Kurama in his 2nd test. With his hair all shaven, and veins running through him. Hiei would be rash for once, something he often told Yusuke, or Kuwabara not to do.  
  
Hiei would commit suicide. And that thought made him smile.  
  
Kurama gripped Hiei's black shirt, his eyes were dancing wildly. He was almost gone. He had one coherent thought, don't let his friend's be killed.  
  
As they walked to the door, bright light swallowed them up and then...  
  
They were outside, standing next to their picnic basket.  
  
The sun was setting in the background.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yo.  
  
^_^ guess what.  
  
The next chapter is the last....la....and now heres the evil part. Um...if you think Kira's gonna die...just don't get too excited okay? jane! Pigbutt!! 


	17. Life Or Death

Okay Last chapter. There are going to be sequels and I'll explain that at the end. Now I never specifically said Kira was gonna die....*evil smile* As for Hiei committing suicide....I make no promises...*wahahahaha*  
  
~Kazima  
  
Yusuke placed Kuwabara down, and helped him to stand. All four of the Rekai starred out at the lake where their picnic was going to take place. Until the devil child tricked them.  
  
Kuwabara touched the brand on his stomach, feeling the name Kira there. He felt anger well up in him. Because of that child he wasn't sure he'd walk again. He no longer wanted to walk again. He wanted to die.  
  
Hiei looked around. He never understood beauty until now. He hesitated in his thought about suicide...but in his head he heard the voice tell him it was the only way. But it was a cowards way out. Hiei glared at everything, he'd have to wrestle with this problem for the rest of his life.  
  
Kurama went calm. But he now was nothing more than a puppet. He was a shallow soul, and the rest of him was drowning. He looked around and let tears fall down his cheeks. How could the day, or maybe even the other day start out like this?  
  
Yusuke was numb. He felt nothing. He heard nothing. He was empty. Empty and gone. He was lost. Lost inside himself. He had walls protecting his inside emotions and outside. Nothing could get in.  
  
Kira looked back at them, "The one who is my great Master is approaching!" She was giggling and clapping her hands. "You will now DIE! ALL DIE!"  
  
She laughed loudly, as if she was a babe at play.  
  
"Kira, shut up!"   
  
Kira clasped her hands to her mouth. Next to her was a dark figure. He was huge. Twice the size of the group put together. The demon was indescribably ugly, and his many eyes, were all a glowing green.  
  
He stepped up to them and laughed, "I knew you would all make it...hahaha...the great Rekai...you would make it...and be emotionally and physically worn down...just enough for me to kill you."  
  
"WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST US!?" Hiei demanded, his sword was back with him, and he was ready for blood, his dark energy burning off the bandages on his arm, and around his forehead. He had never wanted to kill so bad in his life. The shear thought of killing him and Kira made him smile.  
  
The demon laughed, "You...I have nothing wrong with you...You are just a challenge. No demon has ever beaten you...and I've always loved sporting games!" He laughed once more, and bowed awkwardly. "My name is Yazagi...and I will be your killer.  
  
Kurama had his rose whip out and he gave an inhuman howl and launched himself at the demon. "YOU MADE ME KILL MY MOTHER! YOU! YOU!!" The demon caught him, and held Kurama in his giant fist. Kurama snarled and bit into the demon's flesh. He tore out his flesh, and attacked it with all he could.  
  
Despite any pain, the demon laughed. Hiei went charging, and that was when the battle officially started. The demon threw Kurama casually away. He laughed the whole time as Hiei cut into him, though compared to the demon, it only looked like paper cuts.   
  
Everyone was worn out...their power was too weak to match against this demon.  
  
They felt death brush his cold hand against the back of their necks. They were going to die.  
  
Kuwabara was starring as his friends fought. He looked at his body which seemed to have turned a light blue from all the blood loss. If he had no spiritual power he would be dead. But now he was a corpse being kept alive by his energy. He was a corpse. And he had little time left. He might as well make it count.  
  
Kuwabara walked shakily away and stabbed at the demon's fat calf, his weak spirit sword then flickered away. He repeated this several times until he had made a hole in the demon. Yazagi looked annoyed, but he paid Kuwabara no mind.  
  
Yusuke just stood and watched.  
  
Kurama lay on the ground for a 6th time, blood pouring out his mouth. His eyes glazed with pain, and anger. He coughed and wheezed with each breath. He tried to get up crying out as his broken ribs were jostled.  
  
Hiei had been shoved through a tree, and held his dislocated arm. He was growling and pushed his arm back into place, snarling as hot pain filled his body. He cursed and blood stained the ground. He was so tired. He fell on one knee panting. The world was swimming before his eyes.  
  
Kuwabara stood in front of the demon. He had stopped attacking him and starred up at him watching as Hiei and Kurama attacked. Kuwabara's senses were closing. But he did notice one thing. He could see the spirits more clearly. He could hear them singing, their haunting beautiful music. And his eyes were filled with a whit light. But he shook his head, so as not to allow this light to swallow him.  
  
The demon didn't even bother with him. Kuwabara turned to looked at Yusuke, and they locked eyes. Something was exchanged between that stare. It was as if they were having a conversation with their eyes. Of good memories, and bad, and of memories they would never have.   
  
Kuwabara smiled, and the pain, and suffering all melted away. He fell on the ground and lay their limply.   
  
He was being swallowed by the light.  
  
Hiei and Kurama starred and Hiei roared with anger. Kurama could not make a sound. Blood was still pooling out his mouth. He made a sound that sounded much like laughter, and he lay on the ground completely limp. His eyes still open.  
  
Hiei was now crying, and stabbing wildly at the demon. The demon smiled, and punched Hiei. A loud crack filled the air, and his eyes went wide. Blood poured out of his mouth, a red string sown into the sky. He was knocked into the water and did not surface.  
  
Kira, stood next to the immobile Yusuke laughing hard.  
  
Then Yusuke grabbed her by the neck, and then ankles. Yazagi froze. "Ho...How did you break through Kira's shield?!"  
  
Kira was squealing like a pig, and trying to get away. Yusuke held her in front of him, and began to twist. Her bones snapped and her limbs began to get torn apart. She screamed louder. Veins burst from her skin, spraying Yusuke and the ground. Yet she did not die.  
  
"How dare you...treat us...like some wild game. How dare you, hurt my friends. How dare you, hurt me. How dare you, torture us with no end..."  
  
Yusuke dug his hand into Kira's ankles, making the devil scream horribly.  
  
"HOW DARE YOU!"  
  
With that cry he pulled Kira apart. Here entrails spilling out all over the ground. Her wide eyes, and face frozen with terror, and pain. Yusuke dropped the demon wretch, and approached the demon. Yazagi stood still starring at Yusuke.  
  
He placed a hand on the demon's gut and a hole was blasted through it. Paralyzed the demon could only scream as the hole got bigger.  
  
"I should be thanking you Yazagi...after this...we're all going to be much closer...and...you helped me get a shi* load stronger."  
  
Hiei burst from the water, and with his unbroken arm, touched the demon as well. "Yes...I believe you've got me back to loving to kill again." Hiei's red eyes flashed, and a deranged smile appeared on his face. He forced energy through the demons knee cap. Laughing as Yazagi cried out with intense pain.  
  
Kurama, holding his side, and arm, approached them, and added to their power. His eyes were almost back to normal. "I will repay you for your "kindness" to me and my friends." He smiled as he blew off the demon's arm.  
  
Kuwabara managed to get on his hands and knees, but Yusuke had to scoop him up so he could stand. Kuwabara added his hand, and smiled. "Thanks for the nightmares....here let me help you with yours." He pushed what little energy he had on the other side of the demon's belly.  
  
That was all that was needed.  
  
Yazagi screamed, and was turned into bits. His short, introduction was just that. Short and pointless.  
  
Kuwabara smiled, his eyes dimming. "That's it...for me..." Yusuke held him as he went completely limp and they both fell backwards. Hiei and Kurama fell as well, Hiei laying upon Kurama's stomach.  
  
Yusuke breathed painfully, Kuwabara's head on his chest. "This...This was a great picnic lets do it again som...sometime."  
  
A snicker.  
  
"Goto hell Yusuke."  
  
"Nice language Kurama."  
  
Hiei's eyes were closed and he lay breathing unevenly on Kurama's chest. Kurama had the look of a man, ready, and waiting for death. Yusuke glanced down at Kuwabara. He was already half dead. His skin was pale blue. And his lips were cracked, purple veins showing on his cheeks. Hiei was in a similar state. One difference. Instead of a pained look, a tremendous suffering was not on Hiei. He was white as if flour had been thrown on him. Yusuke felt anger fill in him. Why couldn't Kuwabara's death be good? Why was he to look and die with a horrible pain?!  
  
And then it dawned on them. They were going to die. Yusuke cried, not bothering to hide his sobs.  
  
"Kuwabara...your not dying alone. I'm coming with you..." He pulled Kuwabara closer too him, and breathed in the scent of Kuwabara's hair. If he had the energy, he would have laughed at how Kuwabara's Kiwi shampoo fragrance, was still in his hair. He held him close. He had seen Kuwabara die before him, and he wasn't going to let that happen, Kuwabara was not dying alone.  
  
Yusuke closed his eyes. So this was how it ended...for the great Urameshi team.  
  
"YUSUKE!!"  
  
Said person opened his eyes, to see a whole fleet of Shinigami's flying down towards them. Boeton leading the charge, and Koenma with her. On Boeton's oar, was Yukina and Genkai.  
  
"How...How the hel...hell did we survive this..." Kurama wheezed before passing out.  
  
Yusuke closed his eyes. "We didn't Kurama...We died inside there...a long time ago."  
  
Yusuke closed his eyes, and let out a sigh.  
  
And whether they died or lived is up to you.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OKAY! ITS DONE! but there are sequels. The sequels are going to be called Three/death and Three/life. This is where you get to pick your own path. If you think they died, then you read Three/death. If you think they lived then you read three/life. Like I said its up to you to decide the outcome. Oh and btw I want to post them at the same time so they might not be up for a few weeks 2-3 okei? well it was great of ya'll to read this. Thanx a bunch!  
  
Kazima 


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